Napoli midfielder Kevin De Bruyne has described Man United loanee Rasmus Hojlund as “very similar” to his former Man City teammate Erling Haaland.
Hojlund scored both goals in Napoli’s 2-1 win over Sporting Lisbon on Wednesday night, and speaking about the striker after the game, six-time Premier League winner De Bruyne made the flattering comparison:
“I was trying to get into that space for the first goal and was waiting for the right moment to pass it to Rasmus, luckily he did the rest. I think Rasmus is growing a lot and is very similar to Haaland.”
“I think they are very similar because they both like to attack the depth. Maybe Hojlund comes to play the ball towards us more, but I think he needs to attack the space a lot because he can score and give us a big hand.”
Could Hojlund return to Man United?
The short answer is ‘probably no’. While the Denmark international is technically on loan at the Serie A champions, there is an obligation to buy for £38 million, which triggers based on a specific condition.
If Napoli qualify for the Champions League next season, the move becomes permanent. Considering Antonio Conte’s side are 2nd after six games played, there is a very strong possibility that they will finish in the top four.
Why are players thriving away from Old Trafford?
Hojlund is not the only example of an expensive signing leaving the Red Devils and going on to succeed elsewhere, and some fans have questioned why that has happened.
There are probably various factors in play. The pressure of playing for United is definitely part of it, as is the environment in the dressing room.
Style of play is undoubtedly another component. Hojlund was feeding off scraps during his time in Manchester. He averaged just 1.44 shots per 90 for the Red Devils last season. Even Harry Kane would struggle with so few chances to score.
Read more about the Manchester United First Team Squad for 2025/26 here
David Tully
David has worked as a football reporter for the last fifteen years. Having started as an intern at Snack Media, he then went on to become a freelancer, working on various different sites. At the start of 2023, he took up his current role as content writer for National World’s Football News Network.
