Manager aims thinly-veiled dig at United, says they’ve ‘improved’ on-loan Red with better coaching methods

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·15 gennaio 2026

Manager aims thinly-veiled dig at United, says they’ve ‘improved’ on-loan Red with better coaching methods

Antonio Conte believes Napoli now have Rasmus Hojlund firing on all cylinders thanks to his coaching staff.

Speaking ahead of Napoli’s clash with Parma last night, the seasoned manager said (via GOAL): “Rasmus is a player who has improved so much since he first arrived. He is 22 years old. We saw great potential in him, but inevitably, these lads need to be coached by people who can improve them; teach them how to work for the team, the positioning, when to go towards the ball and when to attack the space.

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“Our job is to keep improving all the players and make them better than when they first arrived.”

Rasmus Hojlund already preparing to close United chapter

(Photo by Francesco Pecoraro/Getty Images)

Hojlund, technically, is still a United player for the coming months.

Napoli would’ve had no choice but to sign him permanently at the end of his loan spell had they qualified for the Champions League, but reports suggest they’re looking to do so before the summer in order to have him tied down to Conte’s ranks.

The Serie A giants will have to shell out £38 million to facilitate the deal – three years after United paid Atalanta an upfront fee of £64m to sign the forward on a five-year deal.

Ultimately, Hojlund just looked like a player who couldn’t hack the English top flight.

While he did return a respectable 10 goals in his maiden Premier League campaign, he found the back of the net only four times in 32 appearances last term, prompting INEOS to cut ties prematurely and try their luck with another striker in his place.

How does Hojlund compare to his replacement?

(Photo by Francesco Pecoraro/Getty Images)

When Benjamin Sesko arrived from RB Leipzig in a £73m deal, it paved the way for Hojlund to depart, and he eventually identified Napoli, the reigning Scudetto winners, as his ideal destination.

Sesko has since matched Hojlund’s league record for 2024/2025 in 15 fewer appearances, although fans are hoping there’s plenty more to come before May.

As for the Danish international, he is enjoying a new lease of life in Naples, scoring six times and assisting twice in his first 16 league outings.