Man Utd striker Rasmus Hojlund joined Napoli on a season-long loan last summer – and his stay will be made permanent.
Rasmus Hojlund is leaving United.(Image: 2025 UEFA)
Napoli’s obligation to sign Manchester United striker Rasmus Hojlund for €44million (£38m) will be triggered when they secure qualification for next season’s Champions League.
The Italian club are second in Serie A with 70 points, meaning they could earn Champions League qualification if they beat Bologna on Monday night, and Roma in fifth fail to win against Parma on Sunday.
Even if Napoli do not confirm their place in the Champions League in this gameweek, they are all but guaranteed a spot in the competition, to the extent that Hojlund’s exit from United is seen as a formality.
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Napoli paid a €6million (£5.2m) loan fee for Hojlund this season, and United will avoid a loss on the forward under the Premier League’s Profitability and Sustainability Rules (PSR) when they bank €44m (£38m).
Last summer, Ruben Amorim axed Hojlund from his plans despite involving him in pre-season. Speaking in the USA on United’s summer tour, Hojlund outlined his desire to fight for his place, but he was subsequently omitted from squads against Arsenal, Fulham and Grimsby when the season began.
United made Hojlund available for transfer following the signing of Benjamin Sesko from RB Leipzig in a £73.62million deal on August 9. Sesko has scored 12 goals in his debut campaign in Manchester.
Hojlund scored 16 goals across all competitions in his first season for United after signing from Atalanta in a £72m deal, but he took a backward step in his second campaign, scoring 10 times.
Speaking in March, Hojlund reflected on his departure from United, saying in an interview with TV2: “I got what I wanted with my transfer. I got a team that believes in me a lot. A club that believes in me a lot. A sporting director, a president and a coach who wants me.
“It felt like it was over for me at one point [at United]. Here at Napoli, I’ve rediscovered my love for football. People even back in Denmark were writing me off, but I never stopped believing.”
He continued: “I was put in a bit of a box at the end in Manchester. I knew there wouldn’t be much football for me if it continued like this. I was happy to play football in Manchester. I know that, especially in Denmark, a media image was formed that it was all just s*** and terrible, and that I played like a bag of nuts, but that’s not how I look at it.
“It’s hard not to be on your phone. And if you are on your phone, you’re bound to see what’s being written about you in some way. It can be all sorts of places these days, but often because you’re tagged on your Instagram or Facebook. So I would say it would be a lie for me to claim that you don’t get to read it.
“It’s clear that there is also a difference between Napoli and Manchester United, especially in Denmark. But I have to live with the headlines – they will always be there because someone wants to use me as an eye-catcher.”
Hojlund is leaving United this summer with a record of 26 goals in 96 appearances.
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