MANCHESTER UNITED STAR HAND EVERTON AND DAVID MOYES TRANSFER BOOST AS HE IS CLOSE TO REACHING AGREEMENT WITH EVERTON

With uncertainty over who will be the main striker to lead the line for Everton at their new stadium, Blues legend Peter Reid reckons Rasmus Hojlund could thrive away from Manchester United. And he believes Old Trafford chiefs might be willing to offload the 22-year-old.

The Denmark international – who has netted seven goals in 22 appearances for his country – joined the Red Devils for £64million plus £8million in add ons from Italian club Atalanta in July 2023 after previous spells with Copenhagen in his homeland and Austrian outfit Sturm Graz.

Although Hojlund struck 16 times in his first season at United, he has just seven goals in all competitions this term and only two of those have come in the Premier League.

READ MORE: David Moyes issues Everton injury update on Iliman Ndiaye, Armando Broja and three other playersREAD MORE: ‘They both need to improve’ – David Moyes issues stark transfer warning to Everton pairDespite his struggles, Reid, who was voted the PFA Player of the Year in 1984/85, Everton’s most-successful season when they won the League Championship and European Cup-Winners’ Cup while also lifting the FA Cup in 1984 and another title in 1987 with the Blues, reckons the frontman could thrive away from his current environment.

Speaking on episode 2 of Grumpy Old Men, a new podcast where he is joined by Viv Anderson, Tony Woodcock and guest Gary Pallister, the Huyton-born former England international, who Howard Kendall once described as Everton’s most-important post-war signing, said of Hojlund: “I’ve got a feeling Manchester United is a wee bit too big for him.

“The other equation, and I was speaking to somebody in the pub about this, anyhow, I thought, you know what, you might nick him out of Man United and I agree with Tony, I think there’s a player in there. I don’t think it’s at Man United at the moment, but I honestly believe this lad will come again.

“And if I was still a manager in the Premier League, I’d be having a look at his kid. I think there’s a sniff of getting him out, because it’s not going to be the money Man United paid I’m assuming.

“I’m like Tony on that one, I think there’s a player somewhere. Whether it’s at Man United?

“Some players don’t handle Man United. I agree with Viv, it is a big, big stage to play on.”

Dominic Calvert-Lewin who is currently sidelined with a hamstring problem, has been Everton’s main striker in recent seasons but is out of contract this summer and has rejected a new deal. Neither Youssef Chermiti or on-loan Armando Broja have scored for the Blues while Beto was close to leaving the club in January before injuries to team-mates saw him recalled and embark on a five-goal scoring spree under David Moyes.

During the Scot’s first spell in charge at Goodison Park, he made several transfer raids on Old Trafford with Phil Neville, Tim Howard, Louis Saha and Darron Gibson all swapping Manchester United for Everton. Wayne Rooney of course moved in the opposite direction in 2004 under Moyes before returning to his boyhood club in 2017.