Napoli make clever play to clear the final hurdle in £40m Rasmus Hojlund deal – report

Rasmus Hojlund’s move to Napoli is reportedly in its final stages.

Keen to replace the injured Romelu Lukaku, Antonio Conte identified Hojlund as the ideal striker signing.

He tasked the Gli Azzurri with beating league rivals AC Milan and Atalanta in the red-hot race for United’s number 9, who has fallen out of favour at Old Trafford.

After two underwhelming seasons leading the line for the Red Devils, the 20-time English champions opted for a change in attack. That change came in the form of £74 million man Benjamin Sesko.

Sesko in, Hojlund out

With the Slovenian hitman signed and no European football at Old Trafford, meaning fewer games, United’s decision-makers chose to move Hojlund on.

The Dane was advised to seek a new challenge, as regular game time at United was no longer guaranteed.

Initially, Hojlund resisted a move away, a stance that frustrated AC Milan, his top suitors, to the point they cooled their interest and turned to alternative targets.

Napoli entered the scene and have since pushed hard to land Hojlund.

With United open to letting the striker leave, either on loan or permanently and Napoli keen to bring him in, and the player gradually accepting that his future lies away from the Theatre of Dreams, the deal looked straightforward.

However, it was not with one major obstacle making the negotiations tricky. While United and Napoli were prepared to agree on a simple paid loan deal with an option to buy, Hojlund wanted something else.

He made it clear: if he were to leave, he wanted the Italian champions to offer a loan deal with an obligation to buy. Those terms mattered to the 22-year-old, who did not want his future left hanging in uncertainty.

Napoli were initially not keen on such a structure, and at one point, it seemed that was the only thing holding the deal back.

Hojlund to Napoli: Deal close

But on Monday, a promising update emerged. The Peoples Person relayed a report claiming United and Napoli were closing in on a paid loan deal with an obligation to buy worth around £40 million.

While the update is giving hope for an end to this transfer saga, credit must go to Napoli for their relentless pursuit of Hojlund. They have gone to great lengths to convince him.

Not only have they agreed to his demands and promised him a key role at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium, but according to Corriere dello Sport, they even deployed a “secret agent” to persuade him not to consider other suitors.

Secret agent McTominay

The Italian outlet reported:

“The spotlight is on negotiations with Manchester United, with Scott McTominay’s phone call potentially proving pivotal for securing the former Atalanta player’s move.

“Details confirm Napoli and Højlund’s determination to complete the deal: the player is pushing for a permanent transfer or a loan with an obligation to buy.”

United are keen to move Hojlund on and would have struck a deal with any serious bidder. Reports even suggested they offered him to Bayern Munich, indicating they were not prioritising Napoli.

So Napoli had to devise a clever plan to win the player’s favour, and McTominay’s phone call appears to have done just that.

Beyond his exploits last season, which helped fire Napoli to the Scudetto, McTominay continues to deliver for the club.

Convincing Hojlund to join marks yet another contribution, one Napoli fans ought to remember, and perhaps even immortalise, should the United man go on to become a sensation in Naples.

Having played together during the 2023–24 season, McTominay will not just help Højlund settle in Italy; he will help him hit the ground running in Serie A.

The United academy graduate and Kevin De Bruyne, both on the scoresheet in Napoli’s 2–0 league opener win over Sassuolo, could form a partnership that lays the foundation for Hojlund to unlock his full potential under Antonio Conte.

Featured image Matt McNulty via Getty Images

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