Manchester United star striker completes move to Napoli originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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When Rasmus Hojlund made the move to Manchester United back in 2023, the then-20-year-old would have an immense amount of pressure on his hands, having to help the team improve upon their third-place finish in the year prior, while also being one of the Red Devils’ first proper strikers after the second departure of club icon Cristiano Ronaldo.
All things considered, the Dane delivered, bagging 16 goals in his first season at Old Trafford, but it wouldn’t be enough to hoist his team up, as the Red Devils would sink to eighth in the Premier League table.
After a slight dip in production during the following campaign, scoring ten goals across 52 games, and Manchester United finishing in 15th place, it became clear that something had to change. One of the changes at the club would come in the form of Hojlund securing a move back to the Serie A, where he was before his time in the Premier League, having played for Atalanta, now putting his time in with Napoli.
The loan spell in Italy would work wonders for the Danish striker, as he’d bag 16 goals and record six assists across his 44 appearances, getting to work under iconic Italian manager Antonio Conte, as well as sharing the pitch with Premier League legend Kevin De Bruyne and former Red Devil, Scott McTominay.
Napoli activates Hojlund’s buy clause
🚨 Napoli and Manchester United confirm Rasmus Højlund has joined the Italian club on permanent deal triggering obligation to buy clause.
€44m fee after €6m loan fee paid last summer. pic.twitter.com/FDwxOnBAKZ
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) June 3, 2026
It appears that the Serie A side has been impressed with Hojlund’s output enough to want to activate his buy clause, as according to Fabrizio Romano, Napoli has exercised the option, paying € 44 for the 23-year-old.
It will provide Hojlund with a fresh opportunity to build on his first season at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, one that saw Napoli finish in second place in the Italian top-flight, so silverware might not be too far away.
The money received by the Red Devils could come in handy as the team looks to bolster its squad ahead of its return to the Champions League, with recent reports indicating an interest in West Ham’s Mateus Fernandes.
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