Rasmus Hojlund: Manchester United deal sealed after Napoli win | OneFootball

Manchester United had a field day going forward against Nottingham Forest, scoring three times in the Old Trafford win.

Former United stars Scott McTominay and Rasmus Hojlund also enjoyed their outing for Napoli on Sunday, as they both got on the scoresheet in their 3-0 win over Pisa.

The victory in Pisa secures qualification to next season’s Champions League for Napoli, as well as seals the fate of Hojlund.

Manchester United’s first summer sale now over the line

According to The Athletic, Rasmus Hojlund is set to join Napoli in a permanent €44 million (£38m) transfer from Manchester United, after the Serie A giants secured Champions League qualification.

United also received a significant loan fee for the former Atalanta man at the start of the campaign.

Hojlund moved to Naples on a season-long loan deal with a conditional obligation to make the move permanent should Napoli secure a place in Europe’s premier club competition for 2026-27.

The win over Pisa gives Napoli an unassailable five-point lead over fifth-placed Como with one game of the Serie A season remaining.

Hojlund assisted Scott McTominay for the first-half opener and added to his goal tally in second-half stoppage time. This was the Denmark international’s 23rd goal involvement for the team in blue, a very encouraging return, all things considered.

The €44m fee is substantially less than the initial €75m United paid to sign him, but it still makes Hojlund the club’s fifth-largest sale of all time and ensures the Red Devils avoid making a loss on his amortised book value.

Time to replace Joshua Zirkzee

United replaced Hojlund with Benjamin Sesko, who has enjoyed a promising maiden season in the Premier League. As such, it is fair to say the transfer has worked out for all parties.

Now, INEOS’s aim should be to bring in another striker to replace Joshua Zirkzee, who, like Hojlund, has struggled with the Premier League’s physicality and intensity.

In our TPP 2026 Transfer series, I suggested United should explore the possibility of bringing back the prolific Danny Welbeck on the cheap, with the majority of the club’s budget likely to be spent on overhauling the midfield.

Featured image Francesco Pecoraro via Getty Images

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