Man Utd star Rasmus Hojlund has already made Real Madrid desire clear as childhood 'dream' revealed

Rasmus Hojlund is starting to show why Manchester United paid a big transfer fee to sign him from Atalanta in the summer - and his recent upturn in form has led to links with La Liga giants Real Madrid.

Reports in Spain earlier this week suggested Carlo Ancelotti's side had the Denmark international on their list of targets to bolster their striking options as they seek to find a long-term replacement for Karim Benzema, who moved to Saudi Arabia in the summer. Manchester City's Erling Haaland was also named as a player being eyed by Madrid.

Hojlund only arrived at Old Trafford in the summer, as he penned a deal at the club running until the summer of 2028. He scored five goals in six Champions League appearances for the Red Devils but was unable to translate that goal-scoring form into the Premier League.

However, the 21-year-old ended his long wait for a first league goal with the winning strike against Aston Villa on Boxing Day and has since scored in his last four Premier League appearances, with United winning four of the five matches he has scored in. Their only loss since a 2-0 defeat to West Ham United on December 23 came at Nottingham Forest on December 30, a game Hojlund missed through illness.

He also has two assists in his last five appearances and his form has reportedly perked the interest of Madrid. However, it would likely take a huge fee from the Spanish club to pry Hojlund from United, and it is unlikely to be a move the player himself would want.

That is because when he signed for United in the summer, he revealed to TV2 Sport in Denmark that he wrote a note for a school project at the age of 10 which said his dream was to represent his country and play for Manchester United. He also told the channel his move to Old Trafford was a 'perfect match'.

Speaking about the note, he said in August: "It's about dreaming big and daring to dream big. Otherwise you will not reach your goals. It is rare that you get everything in one package, but I would actually say that everything has just come together with me and Manchester United. It's a perfect match.

"Right now the club is going through a process, and I would very much like to be a part of it. This is also why I have chosen to come here now, because I feel I can grow with the club, and hopefully we can win a lot of trophies together."

He added: "I think that Rasmus at 10 would probably be "buzzing", as they say over here in England. He set himself a goal, so that's what I've gone after."

A boyhood United fan who is beginning to realise his dream of scoring regularly for the club, it appears the Old Trafford faithful have little reason to worry about interest from Madrid as things stand.