On Saturday, the move from striker talent Rasmus Höjlund to Atalanta Bergamo was a done deal, as the two clubs announced. With the rumored transfer fee of initially 17 million euros, the Bundesliga soccer club pulverized the previous internal record sale Kelvin Yeboah (6.5 million). The transfer fee for Höjlund could increase to 20 million euros through bonuses.
Sturm sold the 19-year-old Dane tenfold just seven months after acquiring him from FC Copenhagen for €1.8 million. Höjlund was already absent from team training on Friday and instead completed the medical check in Bergamo, now he has signed until 2026. Sturm’s sporting director Andreas Schicker had wanted to keep his developable goalscorer for a long time. In view of the millions, which roughly corresponds to an annual budget for Graz, he ultimately became weak.
“There is no question that we would have liked to have seen Rasmus here in Graz and continued to form his sport,” said Schicker. “In the end, however, you have to make it clear that we didn’t want to deny him a transfer to one of the top leagues in Europe, even if the sporting loss weighs heavily, of course.” One thing was clear for sports director Thomas Tebbich: “The record transfer fee is a clear indication of our continuous, excellent work and will enable us to take further steps in the overall development of the club.”
The club from Serie A, which missed out on international business last season, is likely to have gone up again in terms of the transfer fee. Sturm should receive almost 17 million euros immediately, a fraction of which Copenhagen will eat with. With any bonus payments, the total volume of the business could increase to over EUR 20 million.
Within the league, this is by far the most expensive sale by a non-Salzburg player. Maximilian Wöber had previously led this ranking for five years with his move from Rapid to Ajax Amsterdam for a reported 8.1 million euros. Salzburg meanwhile moves regularly on and over Höjlund spheres. Including transfers from Ligakroesus, Höjlund ends up outside the top ten (for now) with 17.0m.
Sturm’s previous record transfer was attacker Yeboah, who also moved to Italy this January for 6.5 million euros to later Serie A relegated Genoa. Schicker had also committed this only shortly before for about a tenth of the later sum of league competitor WSG Tirol.
“Rasmus has delivered extremely well in the eight months and developed really well,” said Schicker, considering 12 Höjlund goals in 21 games. “It shows that our coach can work really well with young players. That’s our path, we want to continue to follow it consistently,” said Schicker and announced that we wanted to make up for the departure. “We have our eyes open, we also want to do something in the 9th position. But we also know that the transfer window will close on Wednesday. The plan is that we fill this position.”
Sturm is well prepared and doesn’t just start scouting today. “That happened in the background.” In terms of sport, it was “of course a bitter loss,” Schicker noted. However, there is also the player side. “You could tell how the club was trying to get Rasmus.” With the Dutchman Emanuel Emegha (19), Graz recently brought in a striker with potential. Milan Toth (20) also proved his nose for goals with five goals this season for Sturm’s second team.
Source: Nachrichten
