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Manchester United confident of sealing €44m transfer in 2026

Originally posted on We All Follow United
By Rohit Sarkar | Last updated Sep 20, 2025 8:10 PM ET

Manchester United are confident that Napoli will sign Rasmus Hojlund permanently

Manchester United signed Danish striker Rasmus Hojlund for a mammoth £64 million fee with an additional £8 million in performance-related add-ons in August 2023. Naturally, the fans and the club hoped that the 22-year-old would shine in the United jersey. However, the Dane did not have any sort of impact in the 2024/25 season and managed to score just four goals in the Premier League. United ended the season in 15th place in the Premier League points table, and also lost the UEFA Europa League final against Tottenham Hotspur.

The club had to strengthen the attack this summer, and Amorim sidelined him from his plans at the start of the season. United signed Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo, Benjamin Sesko, and, naturally, Hojlund had no more place in the squad. Napoli signed him on a season-long loan with an initial loan fee of €6 million, and have to pay €44 million to United for his permanent signing, if they qualify for the UEFA Champions League next season. In the summer, AC Milan had shown interest in the striker, and United also offered him to Bayern Munich, but Napoli became his final destination.

Romano’s report on Hojlund

Meanwhile, transfer guru Fabrizio Romano talked about Hojlund’s current scenario and stated that the Dane has already made a strong impact with his maiden goal for Napoli against Fiorentina in the Serie A. The journalist revealed that the Serie A club values the qualities of the 22-year-old, considers him part of both current and long-term plans. Romano also went on to reveal that United are confident that Napoli will sign Hojlund at the end of the season by triggering the buyout clause.

“Højlund started immediately very well, starting for Napoli against Fiorentina (and scoring), being already an important player for Antonio Conte in the Champions League. So for sure, Rasmus Højlund is an important part of the Napoli project. The feeling they have internally at Man Utd is that the [conditional] obligation to buy for Rasmus Højlund will be triggered. He’s playing, he’s an important player for Napoli and also because Napoli plan to have Højlund as a crucial part of the project, not just for this season but also the future.”

Why will the Dane be successful for Napoli?

Hojlund has previous experience in the Serie A, when he had a successful tenure with Atalanta before making a move to United. The Dane was not able to settle in the Premier League, and a move to a favourable league will definitely elevate his performances. Napoli have to satisfy two conditions, and United will receive the transfer fee at the end of the season.

The Serie A club needs to qualify for the Champions League, which is not a tough target for them, and secondly, Hojlund might have to play a fixed number of games, which has not been revealed, but it should be low. With the absence of Romelu Lukaku, the Dane will definitely receive significant game time to settle in at Napoli.

Should Napoli permanently sign Rasmus Højlund, it would benefit Manchester United financially by recouping a significant portion of their initial investment. This money could then be reinvested into other areas of the squad or used to comply with Financial Fair Play regulations. It also frees up a squad spot and salary, allowing United to move forward with their current attacking plans.

This article first appeared on We All Follow United and was syndicated with permission.

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