After falling out of favour under Ruben Amorim and – practically – being replaced by Benjamin Sesko, Manchester United striker Rasmus Hojlund joined Serie A outfit Napoli on loan over the summer transfer window and how his teammates felt about his departure has now been revealed by Patrick Dorgu.
Instead of signing a proven out-and-out goalscorer with Premier League experience, then-Red Devils boss Erik ten Hag signed Hojlund from Atalanta in the summer of 2023 for £72 million. Instantly thrown into the deep end, he has scored 26 goals in 95 outings.
It’s not the goalscoring return that many expected of the Dane – and, with Sesko through the door, a move abroad (albeit on a temporary basis to start) could exactly be what the doctor ordered. How his Old Trafford teammates feel about Amorim's decision this summer has been revealed by the aforementioned Dorgu.
How Hojlund’s Man Utd Teammates Feel About his Summer Exit Revealed by Dorgu
rasmus hojlund patrick dorgu
There’s been an influx of Danish talent at Old Trafford in recent years. Christian Eriksen joined for free in 2022; Hojlund followed suit a year later; 17-year-old Chido Obi moved from Arsenal in October 2024 and Dorgu became Amorim’s maiden recruit.
The latter, three years Hojlund’s junior, has struck quite a bond with the centre-forward since joining the club in January 2025 from Lecce – and speaking to Danish outlet Ekstra Bladet, per Manchester Evening News, he revealed the feeling among the United players regarding Hojlund’s loan move to Italy this summer.
rasmus hojlund man utd
Dorgu admitted that, although moving on is part and parcel of football, Eriksen leaving was expected in the Old Trafford dressing room. Hojlund’s move to Napoli came as a ‘bigger shock’, the left-sided defender admitted. While on international duty, he said:
“That’s how it is in football. You never know when it’s your turn to move on. We knew that it would happen to Christian [Eriksen], but it perhaps was a bigger shock that Rasmus [Hojlund] had to move on. I talked with him a lot during the process and could sense which way it was going.”
“Hopefully, we will now see each other every time on the national team. I have been very happy to be teammates with Christian and Rasmus,” Copenhagen-born Dorgu continued before adding: “It was a big plus for me that they were at the club when I joined.”
The seven-cap Denmark international said that Hojlund and Eriksen being part of the squad at United made his integration into proceedings much simpler, though he did admit that it was Amorim’s project that was the primary selling point.
“That way it was easier to become part of the squad. But it was no way decisive for my choice of Manchester United,” he continued. “I was thinking much more about the coach’s plans and ideas with me when I had to make the decision.”
Revealing the details of Hojlund’s loan to Napoli, Fabrizio Romano has reported that Antonio Conte and Co have paid a €6 million (£5.2m) loan fee and will cover his salary for the year. Should they qualify for the Champions League, their loan-to-buy option worth €44 million (£38.16m) becomes mandatory.