Rasmus Hojlund is ‘happy’ at Napoli, where his temporary deal runs until the end of the season. The Manchester United forward is working hard to convince the Italian club to sign him permanently.
Even though Rasmus Hojlund left Manchester United on loan in the summer and Ruben Amorim signed Benjamin Sesko at RB Leipzig, there’s still a lot of work to be done with the team’s attacking department.
United still don’t have an out-and-out goalscorer, and the back-up options for Sesko were non-existent, unless Joshua Zirkzee plays as a striker, which is a rarity unless the squad is hit with injuries.
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Everyone at Old Trafford will want to see Hojlund and other United loanees succeed this season. It may even help Ineos push through sales in the summer.
It certainly helps that Hojlund is enjoying himself at Napoli and is making noises that he feels at home with the current Serie A champions.
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The 2025/26 season started as a disaster for Hojlund because it looked like Amorim would rather play without a striker than opt for the Danish international.
Hojlund eventually left Old Trafford until the end of the season, but he has since made 19 appearances for Napoli, scoring seven goals and registering three assists.
It would be an incredible achievement for Napoli if Antonio Conte could defend the title this season, after shocking the European football community when his team were inspired by Scott McTominay’s heroics last term.
The McTominay transfer may have influenced Conte’s thought process when he made the move to sign Hojlund on loan.
Speaking about his time at Napoli, Hojlund has made it clear that he is enjoying himself and how Conte’s call changed everything after United made it clear that his game time would be significantly cut following the arrival of a new striker.
“I’m really happy so far and I’m enjoying everything,” Hojlund told Sports Illustrated, as quoted by Tuttomercatoweb.
The 22-year-old admitted the prospect of working with Conte appealed to him massively.
“Obviously, I want to play, but I also want to learn from him. Conte? He’s an incredible coach. When he calls you, you just have to say yes.”
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United remained honest with Hojlund during this period. The Dane wasn’t part of the plans put forward by Amorim, so this allowed him to seek game time elsewhere during a World Cup year.
Rasmus Hojlund idolises Romelu Lukaku
The biggest factor in Hojlund’s loan move to Napoli was former United striker Romelu Lukaku.
Lukaku picked up an injury that kept him out of action for the first half of the season, so Conte needed to find a striker capable of scoring goals to keep Napoli’s title hopes alive.
Hojlund stresses Lukaku has been ‘fantastic’, but he also enjoys working closely with Conte, who he considers an ‘incredible coach’.
He added: “Romelu is a fantastic person. I didn’t know him well before. I spoke to him on the pitch and I even have one of his shirts at home. He’s an idol for me.”
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