'Ruben Amorim didn't want me at Manchester United - and now I'm leaving for good' | OneFootball

Rasmus Hojlund has rediscovered his best form on loan at Napoli

Rasmus Hojlund has claimed that Ruben Amorim did not want him at Manchester United.

United, then managed by Erik ten Hag, paid a staggering £72 million for Hojlund in 2023, after one season with Atlanta, during which he scored 9 goals in 32 Serie A games.

In his final season, Hojlund went 21 games without scoring, between December and March, as United recorded their worst-ever finish, of 15th, in Premier League history.

Hojlund was shipped out on loan to Napoli last season, and replaced by Benjamin Sesko, and has returned 10 goals in 26 Serie A games. He is expected to make the move permanent for an agreed fee of £38m.

"I got what I wanted with my transfer," Hojlund told Danish outlet TV2. "I got a team that believes in me a lot. A club that believes in me a lot. A sporting director, a president and a coach who wants me."

He added: "I was put in a bit of a box at the end in Manchester. I knew there wouldn't be much football for me if it continued like this.

Rasmus Hojlund has scored 10 league goals for Napoli

Agostino Gemito/PA Wire

"I was happy to play football in Manchester. I know that, especially in Denmark, a media image was formed that it was all just s**t and terrible, and that I played like a bag of nuts, but that's not how I look at it.

"It's hard not to be on your phone. And if you are on your phone, you're bound to see what's being written about you in some way. It can be all sorts of places these days, but often because you're tagged on your Instagram or Facebook. So I would say it would be a lie for me to claim that you don't get to read it.

"The media has so much to say in this football world, and it's hard not to be influenced. But there's a lot more behind it, and that's why I return to the importance of never flying too high and, conversely, never diving too low.

"Now it's portrayed as if I'm back and just doing really well. But inside myself my thoughts are in a completely different place. I'm self-critical. I still want to be even better, more involved in the games and score more goals, but it's fun to observe how the image of me is constantly changing.

"It's clear that there is also a difference between Napoli and Manchester United, especially in Denmark. But I have to live with the headlines – they will always be there because someone wants to use me as an eye-catcher."