Rasmus Hojlund left Manchester United in the summer transfer window to join Napoli on a season-long loan
Rasmus Hojlund of Napoli
Rasmus Hojlund has scored nine goals during his loan spell at Napoli(Image: Marco Mantovani/Getty Images)
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Rasmus Hojlund is thriving while on loan at Napoli from Manchester United, and has already been praised for his performances in Italy. Hojlund left United last summer to join the reigning Serie A champions on a season-long loan, which also included the option to make the move permanent.
Napoli have the option of signing Hojlund at the end of the season for £43.5million (€50million), which would become an obligation to buy if the Italian club were to qualify for the Champions League.
Since moving to Naples, Hojlund has scored nine goals across all competitions for Antonio Conte’s side and has been widely praised for his performances by his manager, as well as several pundits.
This comes after Hojlund managed 10 goals for United in his second season at Old Trafford following his £72million switch from Atalanta back in 2023.
United signed Hojlund in the summer of 2023 after Erik ten Hag’s first season at Old Trafford, and went on to link up with former Reds midfielder Scott McTominay at Napoli after completing his loan move.
McTominay also left United to join Napoli, but did so on a permanent deal back in 2024 when Ten Hag was still the club’s manager at the time.
Former Premier League star Gianfranco Zola has previously given a clear verdict about Hojlund’s time at Napoli and what United’s view on the deal might be.
"Hojlund is driving everyone crazy, even people at Manchester United," Zola said in an interview with Gazzetta dello Sport last month.
"After McTominay left because of [Erik] ten Hag's reckless decisions, they let go of a striker like that."
United made several changes to their forward line during the summer transfer window, with Hojlund’s exit one of several deals that were completed.
With Hojlund leaving the club, United went on to sign Benjamin Sesko, Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha to revamp their forward options in one window.
It remains to be seen what the future holds for Hojlund, with Napoli sporting director Giovanni Manna recently explaining the terms of the deal and why he expects the United loanee to sign on a permanent basis in the summer.
"We did everything we could to sign him. There were more storied clubs interested, but his will was crucial, and we are proud of it," Manna told Corriere dello Sport last month.
"We had no doubts. Rasmus is decisive in terms of numbers, but also in how he understands the coach's input. This makes a difference.
"There's an option to buy and an obligation to buy if we qualify for the Champions League. The player considers himself a Napoli player, and the same goes for us. This is extremely important."
Manna was also about whether a permanent move for Hojlund was likely, to which he replied: "As of today, I think so."
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