Manchester United striker Rasmus Hojlund opened his account for Napoli after joining the Italian champions on loan during the summer transfer window
Antonio Conte.
Antonio Conte has tipped Rasmus Hojlund to improve after leaving Man United on loan.
(Image: Photo by Gabriele Maltinti/Getty Images)
Napoli head coach Antonio Conte has heaped praise on Manchester United loanee Rasmus Hojlund. The Italian tactician lauded the Dane as he tipped the 22-year-old to improve with the Serie A champions.
The striker netted his first goal for the club following his summer loan move as they maintained their 100 per cent record in the league thanks to a 3-1 away win at Fiorentina. Hojlund got off the mark on his debut after Napoli moved to strengthen their forward options following an injury to former United striker Romelu Lukaku.
The 22-year-old moved to Serie A after Benjamin Sesko arrived at Old Trafford. The Slovenian's move from RB Leipzig diminished Hojlund's selection chances, and he was allowed to leave the club on a temporary basis.
He has already made an impact for the reigning Italian champions and Conte expects more positive performances to come from the United striker.
"Hojlund is only 22 years old, we got him from Manchester United, seeing as it brought us luck doing that with [Scott] McTominay," he said.
"We knew his qualities, he has great potential and can improve. You can see he’s a lad with great prospects."
Rasmus Hojlund scored on his Napoloi debut after his loan move from Manchester United
Rasmus Hojlund scored on his Napoloi debut after his loan move from Manchester United
The attacker is set return to Manchester on Thursday with Manchester City hosting Napoli in their Champions League opener at the Etihad Stadium.
Conte added: "We signed Hojlund to replace Romelu, who will be out for a long time. Napoli controlled the match today, we also need someone who can hold the ball up, that’s true of all teams who want to dominate matches.
“Everyone did well tonight, we were concentrated, allowing Fiorentina very little movement with our high press, which caused them a lot of problems.
“We could’ve scored more goals against a Fiorentina side who reached the Conference League Final for two years running, then the semi-final in the third, also reaching the Coppa Italia Final.
"We are talking about a team that has for years been well-structured to play in several tournaments, so they have really good players. I think they are being under-rated, so coming here and winning like this should make us feel strong.
“At the same time, we need to see where we can improve. I am not a perfectionist, but I do prefer to see the glass half-empty so I can focus on where we need to improve.”
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