Rasmus Hojlund has just won his biggest battle in Napoli to completely change how his loan move was seen when it happened.
It is easy to forget that Rasmus Hojlund was a punt by Napoli on a stressed asset because they were already brimming with striking talent.
In fact, in the same window, Lorenzo Lucca was signed, while the incumbent striker Romelu Lukaku was an Antonio Conte favourite.
However, as the end of the season nears, it’s clear that Hojlund has won his biggest battle in Napoli, courtesy of an ex-Man Utd player.
Rasmus Hojlund plays during the Serie A match between Atalanta BC and Napoli in Bergamo, Italy, on February 22, 2026
Photo by Mairo Cinquetti/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Did Manchester United make a mistake sending Rasmus Hojlund on loan?
Rasmus Hojlund celebrates against Juventus
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Romelu Lukaku fiasco crowns Rasmus Hojlund the king of Naples
Hojlund didn’t walk into an easy situation at Napoli, as he was signed only because Romelu Lukaku was injured.
Lukaku was the architect of Napoli’s title win, and Conte has been a strong backer at multiple clubs. Lorenzo Lucca was the quintessential target man ideal for Conte.
However, Hojlund started like a house on fire, Lukaku never really recovered from his injury, and Lucca didn’t fit in quite as well as the Man Utd loanee did.
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The battle against Lucca was won from day one, effectively, but the bigger one was against Lukaku’s eventual return.
Those fears have now been put to rest after the Lukaku injury has snowballed into a complete fiasco, ending with the club banning the Belgian until the end of the season.
Disagreement between their stance on treating the injury has seen trust collapse between the player and the club, and Napoli will now look to sell Lukaku in the summer.
Meanwhile, Hojlund has gone from strength to strength, hitting double figures in league goals in his debut season, earning Conte’s trust, and powering a UCL qualification push.
It’s fair to say at this point that Hojlund has earned himself an undisputed first-choice position in Conte’s team. It looked far from easy when he signed last summer.
Man Utd’s £38m boost is effectively confirmed
Napoli’s option to make the deal permanent would have turned into an obligation with Napoli’s UCL qualification, so this was always going to be a formality.
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Having said that, Hojlund has made himself such an important member of the squad that even if Napoli collapsed completely to finish outside the UCL places, the £38m deal to sign Hojlund is more likely than not.
That’s because, as it stands, he’s their only reliable striker, and with age on his side, the potential to become even better.
That is music to the ears of Man Utd, where his race is run, and they already face a tricky period with Marcus Rashford, who hasn’t been able to make himself undeniable at Barcelona as Hojlund has at Napoli.
The £25m for Rashford can’t be accounted for right now, but the £38m for Hojlund is a formality.
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