Antonio Conte is set to give Rasmus Højlund exactly what he’s demanded amid his move from Manchester United to Napoli this weekend.
Rasmus Højlund’s future at Manchester United has been cast into doubt after the club brought in Benjamin Šeško from RB Leipzig earlier this month.
The Danish forward has struggled for consistency in front of goal, scoring 26 times in 95 games under Erik ten Hag, Ruud van Nistelrooy, and Rúben Amorim.
Despite occasional bright spells, extended goal droughts have hampered his progress, prompting Amorim to secure a striker of the same age but with greater experience at the highest level.
Having cost United £72 million in 2023, Højlund has not lived up to expectations, and the club are now preparing to finalise his transfer to Serie A side Napoli this summer.
Højlund to Napoli details explained
While Højlund’s move to Napoli feels mostly like a permanent one, the currently agreed-upon transfer sees the Danish international sign for Napoli on loan, with the player set to arrive in Italy on Saturday to complete his move this weekend.
Højlund has been clear that if he were to leave United, it would have to be a move he would consider a long-term one, rather than having his future hang in the balance next summer as well.
With this in mind, Napoli have agreed to pay a loan fee of around £5 million for the player this summer and has also committed to covering his entire wage package.
They have also agreed to an option to buy the player in June 2026 for £38 million, which will become an obligation to purchase the player if they qualify for the Champions League next season.
Furthermore, if this option is exercised, Højlund’s contract will include a release clause of approximately £70 million.
Conte willing to give Højlund what he demands
Napoli’s latest fixture was not too dissimilar to United’s, with André-Frank Zambo Anguissa netting a 90+5th-minute winner to secure three points against Cagliari just hours after Bruno Fernandes’ 90+7th-minute winner against Burnley.
Speaking after the game, Napoli boss Antonio Conte discussed his pending new signings, Eljif Elmas and Højlund, explaining that, just as Højlund had demanded, these are signings Napoli views as ones who can make an immediate impact, but also long-term options for the club’s future.
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“I’ve said that we signed players who can give us a hand for the present and will be the future of Napoli too. We tried to grow and complete the squad, because last season we didn’t have European competition, so we were based around 12-13 players,” Conte explained, via FootballItalia.
“This year, we need to introduce new players into a squad that won the Scudetto. It’s only been two games, I try to choose the players who give me the most guarantees, and naturally, that is mainly those who were here last season.”
Continuing, Conte said: “Elmas could’ve been handy tonight, as he can play in midfield, Hojlund should arrive too. We’re trying to do things the right way, knowing that the squad was not capable last season of handling all the competitions we have this year.”
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