Napoli manager Antonio Conte has made a bold prediction about Manchester United loanee Rasmus Højlund following his latest goal.
Manchester United pushed for Rasmus Højlund to depart the club in the summer after the signing of Benjamin Šeško was secured.
Højlund had come in as a big money signing two years prior but had a terrible 2024/25 campaign which saw him lose almost all confidence by the end of it.
Napoli decided to sign the striker on an initial loan but if certain conditions are met, the Italian club will sign Højlund permanently next summer.
The Dane has started life in Naples positively. He scored on his debut and netted a brace against Sporting in the Champions League last week before adding a fourth goal in a 2-1 win over Genoa on Sunday.
Conte makes bold Højlund prediction
Antonio Conte pushed for Højlund to join Napoli after the injury to Romelu Lukaku occurred and he is clearly pleased with how the United loanee has started.
The ex-Chelsea boss has predicted that Højlund can ‘become a star’ as long as he continues to work on improving his game.
“He’s a 22-year-old who was on the sidelines at Manchester United. He has significant room for improvement; he needs to work because he has the potential to become a star, and he’s proving it,” Conte told Gazetta dello Sport.
That potential was not unknown at Old Trafford. After his debut season, Højlund had 16 goals under his belt and the talent was evident.
But the circumstances were far from favourable and the young striker seemed to crumble under the pressure. The talent he possessed in the first place was undeniable yet it started to seem unlikely that it would develop at United.
Højlund’s message to Šeško
Højlund left United in a summer window where players like Antony, Jadon Sancho and Alejandro Garnacho were trying to pressure the club into certain decisions.
So his approach to being pushed out was admirable. He wanted to stay at the club and fight for a place, but when he realised that wasn’t possible, he wanted to ensure a complete split, either on a permanent or a loan with an obligation to buy.
While his quality began to deplete, you could never question his attitude and eagerness to do well. He also sent a positive message to Šeško after his goal against Sunderland, which shows the kind of character he is.
Most United fans will be wishing Højlund well in the rest of his career and it seems like he will continue to score goals and improve under Conte at Napoli.
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