Manchester United striker Rasmus Hojlund joined Napoli on loan for the remainder of the season on transfer deadline day
Rasmus Hojlund pictured after completing his loan move to Napoli
Rasmus Hojlund pictured after completing his loan move to Napoli
(Image: SSC NAPOLI/SSC NAPOLI via Getty Images)
Rasmus Hojlund could reportedly complete a permanent exit from Manchester United at the end of the season should Napoli qualify for next season's Champions League.
The Dane's future at Old Trafford was thrown into doubt just before the season started when Benjamin Sesko was signed as the new centre-forward for the club. MEN Sport reported shortly before the Sesko deal was completed that Hojlund would reluctantly have to look at his options if he felt that his place in the team was under threat.
Sure enough, Hojlund was left out of the squad for the start of the Premier League season, and his proposed exit gathered pace from there. AC Milan showed a keen interest in the striker but were unwilling to include an option to purchase the striker next summer, which suited neither the Dane nor United.
Hojlund's desire was to join a club where he had a better shot of settling for the long term. This is when Antonio Conte's Napoli started to lead the race.
On transfer deadline day, United managed to reach an agreement whereby Napoli pay a £5.2m loan fee and shall pay a further £38m to make the deal permanent should certain clauses be reached. Now, according to Calciomercato, it is clear which clauses are active this season.
Content Image
Content Image
The most tangible clause sees Hojlund join Napoli should they qualify for the Champions League next season. This is realistic considering that the Naples club are the defending champions in Italy.
The other two clauses appear to be more vague; however, they relate to the number of appearances he makes this season and the number of goals he scores. Once he was to sign permanently, it is understood the Dane would be given a five-year contract, and a £73.78m release clause would be inserted into the deal.
Hojlund featured for Denmark in their goalless draw against Scotland on Friday night and will be hopeful of making his debut for Napoli when they travel to Fiorentina next Saturday.
Here at The Manchester Evening News, we are dedicated to bringing you the best Manchester United coverage and analysis.
Make sure you don't miss out on the latest United news by joining our free WhatsApp group. You can get all the breaking news and best analysis sent straight to your phone by clicking here to subscribe.
You can also subscribe to our free newsletter service. Click here to be sent all the day's biggest stories.
And, finally, if you would rather listen to our expert analysis then make sure to check out our Manchester is Red podcast, featuring The Samuel Luckhurst Show and The Midweek Debate. Our shows are available on all podcast platforms, including Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and you can also watch along on YouTube.