Rasmus Hojlund’s father has opened up on the striker’s start to life in Naples following his summer transfer from Manchester United.
Rasmus Hojlund looked promising in his first season at Manchester United: the Danish forward scored 16 goals in a dysfunctional team. Unfortunately, though, Hojlund looked like a shadow of his former self during the 2024-25 campaign.
That being said, Hojlund returned to pre-season in the summer and looked very sharp. However, at that point, the damage was already done, and Hojlund had lost the trust of United head coach Rúben Amorim.
Following the arrival of Benjamin Šeško, it became clear that Hojlund had no future at Old Trafford, despite the former Atalanta striker having been desperate to stay at United and fight for his place, as per reports.
Despite serious interest from AC Milan and RB Leipzig, Hojlund eventually decided to join Napoli. The Italian side agreed a deal worth up to £43.1 million. A £5.1m loan fee with a £38 million buy-option, which becomes an obligation if Napoli qualify for the Champions League, which will almost certainly happen.
Hojlund enjoying life in Naples
Hojlund has already scored four goals since his summer move to Napoli, having taken the starting spot through the middle in the absence of Romelu Lukaku, who has been out injured since the beginning of the season.
“Rasmus and Naples? My son is crazy about the city, the team, and the fans,” his father said, speaking to Il Mattino.
As already mentioned, Hojlund was reportedly desperate to stay at Manchester United, and a report from The Athletic claimed he was ‘heartbroken’ when it became clear he had to leave.
While many would assume Hojlund would want to leave Old Trafford after a difficult time, he wanted to stay at the club due to his long-time love for the Red Devils; his father explained when he first began to support United.
“I remember perfectly the first time he told me about his desire to become a footballer. Remember it as if it happened yesterday. I was sitting with him, talking about football in his room 3, and I was looking at a poster of Cristiano Ronaldo.
“Then he turned to me and said, “I want to be as good as Cristiano!” All I could do was tell him how hard he needed to start training, and we needed to start training with him.”
The move was right for both parties
While Hojlund wanted to stay, the fact is that a move was right for both parties, especially after Šeško joined the club.
Hojlund is a top talent, and one poor season isn’t going to change that. However, it was clear he was struggling to deal with the pressure and expectation that come with leading the line at Old Trafford.
On top of that, he was also struggling to deal with the physicality of the Premier League. He had lost the trust of a large portion of the fan base, and likely also his teammates and head coach.
United are not blameless, though. They failed to provide the right environment and circumstances for Hojlund to succeed. They didn’t sign a more experienced centre-forward to help shoulder the burden; the team was dysfunctional, and he played through bad form for months before finally being given a break.
He has now rediscovered his best form at Napoli, and a coach of Antonio Conte’s quality can help him to fulfil his potential. He has already scored four goals in eight games since joining the Italian giants.
When a player leaves United and re-finds form, it’s easy to say that United made a mistake by letting them go. However, more often than not, a change of scenery is exactly what helps a player return to their best.
Napoli got a top player, Hojlund got a good move, United will almost certainly get a good fee, and they signed an amazing replacement in Šeško. In the end, everyone is a winner.
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