JAKARTA – Failing at Manchester United, striker Rasmus Hojlund finally had to leave Old Trafford. Napoli then accommodated Hojlund after borrowing the 23-year-old striker last season.
Hojlund became the first sale made by Man Utd in preparation for the 2026/2027 season competition. The Danish national team striker has not been shining since being recruited from Atalanta in 2023.
At that time, Man Utd had to fork out up to 72 million pounds to bring in Hojlund. Whether this was a mistake from then-manager Erik ten Hag who wanted to get a reliable centre forward in Man Utd’s front line.
The reason is that Hojlund’s price is considered expensive for a player who has not become a core player of Atalanta. Moreover, he is still young and has not played long in the Italian Serie A.
However, Ten Hag confidently brought in Hojlund who eventually failed to show his sharpness even though he also helped the Red Devils win the 2024 FA Cup by defeating rival Manchester City.
At that time, Hojlund began to be mentioned as one of the young players predicted to become the backbone of Man Utd along with Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo.
But the Gen Z trio instead flopped. Garnacho suffered a decline so he was eliminated from the squad. Likewise, Hojlund who has not been shining has followed in the footsteps of Wayne Rooney or Robin van Persie. Only Mainoo is getting brighter. Although he had expressed a desire to leave, Mainoo now has a long-term contract with Man Utd after the departure of manager Ruben Amorim.
On the other hand, Hojlund was loaned to Napoli at the start of last season. Especially after Hojlund did not show compatibility with Amorim. When Man Utd was handled by Michael Carrick who replaced Amorim, he still did not get a place in the team.
Napoli finally followed up on the loan by giving Hojlund a permanent contract. Moreover, Hojlund’s performance did not disappoint with Napoli in the Italian League. Coincidentally, Man Utd chose to trade the player.
Yes, this English Premier League club was forced to sell at a loss because they let Hojlund go for only 38 million pounds. Even that price is not half of the cost that Man Utd spent when bringing him from Atalanta.
“Rasmus Hojlund has joined Napoli permanently. The club wishes Rasmus success in the future,” said the club’s official statement. During his two years at Old Trafford before being loaned to Napoli, Hojlund has bagged 26 goals from 95 appearances in various competitions.
Hojlund became the first but not the last player to be released by Man Utd. According to the club’s plan, they will soon release Tyrell Malacia who failed to make the Carrick team’s plan.
Man Utd itself has brought in Brazilian midfielder Ederson to replace his compatriot, Casemiro, who has completed his contract.
Man Utd also immediately inaugurated the purchase of young Colombian star Cristian Orozco. The defender, who is still 17 years old, was recruited from Fortaleza. However, he will only sign a contract in July when he turns 18.
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