When you don’t have much luck, try to make your own. Rasmus Hojlund was handed a difficult task at the age of 20, and he did not ask Atalanta to pay £72 million for him.

Hojlund has yet to make his Premier League debut.

This season, his treatment at Manchester United has been nothing short of appalling. Antony has not helped this season and has not done so since April.

Marcus Rashford appears to be a shadow of the 30-goal striker from previous season, while Alejandro Garnacho is younger than Hojlund. The Dane has yet to score in 14 Premier League games, and illness this week has made it difficult for him to prepare for West Ham.

He had only 17 touches at the London Stadium on Saturday before being substituted 10 minutes after the break. A lack of service hasn’t helped, but Hojlund has appeared one-dimensional at times. He has only been seen sprinting clear of the defense once, when he sprinted in from the left before neatly lobbing home against Galatasaray at Old Trafford.

He has scored in the Champions League against Bayern Munich and away in Copenhagen, but he is still finding his way in the league. Hojlund has rarely dropped deep, made a wide run, or shot from long range.

Erik ten Hag complained a lack of finances last January and is expected to be equally angry this time. United executives have previously stated that they do not expect much business next month owing to Financial Fair Play concerns.

Such fears were there in the summer, when United spent an additional £180 million on top of last year’s £225 million outlay. United’s 10-point deduction from Everton will only make them tighten their pocketbook reins even more.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe was never going to have much of an impact in the January market as a result, even if his bid was ratified in time. Despite having full reign over athletic things, the judgment is still out on how much authority he will genuinely possess in the boardroom with only a 25% interest.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe is nearing completion of his purchase of Manchester United.

Ten Hag was willing to take a chance on Hojlund. His price tag was always high, and putting the striker on him was a hazardous strategy. He clearly needed time to settle in, which was hampered by his back issue when he signed. However, 14 games without a goal is cause for concern.

Hojlund has faced Crystal Palace, Burnley, Luton Town, and Sheffield United without a win. Needless to say, £47m Andre Onana and £55m Mason Mount have been underwhelming since their arrivals, and Hojlund has clearly been the most influential addition. However, there is also cause for concern.

While Amad has been injured, Anthony Martial has not been a great backup act. Despite their large investment in Hojlund, United would benefit from attacking reinforcement and motivation.

It’s worth mentioning that the £72 million is for who Hojlund is now and who he will become in the future, but United’s summer spending under Ten Hag has hampered the club’s ability to find attacking options in January.

It was always a risk depending on Hojlund this season, and it hasn’t paid off so far. And now that Christmas has here, Ten Hag has no money to buy fresh gifts.