Rasmus Højlund has revealed his plans at Napoli and what he learned during his time at Manchester United before the loan move.
Manchester United decided to offload Rasmus Højlund this summer after securing the signing of fellow 22-year-old Benjamin Šeško.
Højlund made it clear that he wanted to stay at Old Trafford during the pre-season tour but was then omitted from Ruben Amorim’s squad for the opening four games of the campaign.
That made it clear that the Dane did not have a future at the club and he eventually completed a deadline day move to Italian club Napoli.
The striker, who underperformed over the last year, will be hoping that he can have a similar turnaround to Scott McTominay, who won the Serie A Player of the Year in his debut season in Naples.
Højlund reveals Napoli plan and what he learned at United
One of the most interesting parts about Højlund’s exit is that he pushed for there to be an obligation in any loan deal. He clearly didn’t want to find himself in the same position as the likes of Jadon Sancho and Tyrell Malacia where they were exiled from the squad all summer.
That has been included in his Napoli deal, as long as certain conditions are met, and Højlund has explained that his plan to stay at the Serie A club and fight for a spot with Romelu Lukaku is ‘very clear’.
The 22-year-old has also stated that he has learned a lot during his time at United through playing in different competitions and a new country.
“I was very excited, because it’s a team that just won the league. I also know how great the fans are, the city, and I’m very happy for this opportunity,” Hojlund told Napoli’s club media.
“It’s different now, obviously, as I come with more experience and I’m a better football player. I come with a lot of international experience.
“I played in the Premier League, Champions League, Europa League, and in multiple countries. I come with a lot to prove, I want to show myself in the best team in Italy, and Napoli is going to be very, very good.”
“I think my plan is very clear and that is for me to stay and fight for my spot, whatever happens. I’m still very young. I think people forget that sometimes. I’m only 22.
“Obviously, not every striker is scoring 100 goals at the age of 22 (like Erling Haaland). But I’ve learned a lot, I think you can see in my game. I’m starting to develop and become even better in the basics.
“Now it’s just about for me to sharpen myself and I’ve done very well in the pre-season so far. Just focusing on continuing that.”
Højlund will want to prove United wrong
Højlund’s time at Napoli feels like it’s only going to go one way: successfully.
United fans have gotten used to players departing and returning to their previous levels and it will likely be the case with Højlund too, who needed to get away from the Old Trafford spotlight.
Moving back to Italy was a good move for Højlund and his preference to stay there long-term perhaps shows the benefit to exiling the likes of Sancho from the squad.
READ MORE: Man Utd striker Benjamin Šeško reveals two biggest differences between Bundesliga and Premier League
Most United fans know that Højlund can be a top player and he will be hoping that he can make people question why he was allowed to leave, just like how McTominay has done.
That will also simply depend on how United’s new forwards do, and it doesn’t feel likely that they will struggle as much as the Danish striker did.
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