Man Utd striker Rasmus Hojlund ‘would gladly’ return to Italy in the summer transfer window with Napoli interested in a deal, according to reports.
The Red Devils, who are currently 13th in the Premier League, are having a nightmare season after choosing to sack Erik ten Hag for Ruben Amorim at the end of October.
Their 3-0 win over Leicester City over the weekend saw them leapfrog Tottenham but only six Premier League clubs have scored fewer goals than Man Utd this season.
Hojlund, who scored his first goal in 21 matches in all competitions over the weekend, and fellow striker Zirkzee have come under fire for their lack of goals this term.
The two strikers have only got three goals each in the Premier League and Man Utd are likely to look for a new goalscoring centre-forward in the summer transfer window, with Sporting CP’s Viktor Gyokeres heavily linked.
And now Italian newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport (via ManUtdNews) claims that Napoli are looking to sign a new striker and that Hojlund is ‘one of the top names on manager Antonio Conte’s wishlist’.
It is understood that Hojlund ‘would gladly’ return to Italy after signing for Man Utd from Atalanta in 2023 in a deal worth around £63m, while the Red Devils ‘plan to request £51m’ from any interested clubs this summer.
The Red Devils’ valuation is described as a ‘deal-breaker’ for some Serie A clubs but Napoli have held ‘first exploratory talks’ as they want the Dane to compete for a place in the starting XI with former Man Utd striker Romelu Lukaku.
MORE MAN UTD COVERAGE ON F365…
👉 Man Utd ‘reach’ £42m for ‘hot potato’ as Romano confirms midfielder is ‘staying’
👉 Amorim provides Heaven injury update after Man Utd youngster was stretchered off vs Leicester
👉 Man Utd, Chelsea summer transfer deemed ‘certain’ on one condition as Romano reveals ‘truth’
Hojlund is now on international duty for the Denmark national team and has been speaking about his time at Man Utd so far, he told TipsBladet: “It has been frustrating. That’s probably the right word to use. It has of course affected me a lot in terms of wanting to get on the scoreboard.
“I would worry more if it was the other way around and it didn’t work out for me. There’s not much else to say other than that it has of course been a period where I would have liked to have done better.”
When asked if he’s lost faith in his own ability at any point in recent months, Hojlund replied: “No, I don’t think so. I’ve proven before what I can do. Quite a few people have done it too. So it’s not that.
“The frustration is probably what has filled me the most, but there has also been something in terms of performance where it hasn’t been good enough either.”
On whether he’s paid attention to any of the criticism levelled at him, Hojlund added: “I don’t spend that much time on social media. I post occasionally, but otherwise I keep it away and spend my time with my girlfriend now, and my family – and I’m about to get a dog.”
