United misfit in line for mammoth 2026 to prove Amorim made a huge mistake in letting him go – opinion

Rasmus Hojlund’s torrid first half of 2025 was enough to convince Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim that change was required at the point of his attack heading into his first full season in charge at Old Trafford. After weeks of window shopping, Benjamin Sesko was identified as the man to spearhead Amorim’s new look forward line, leaving Hojlund officially surplus to requirements. The Dane was then offloaded to the continent with Serie A giants Napoli agreeing a deal to take him on loan with an obligation to make the move permanent at the end of the season. Since then, Hojlund has settled in well alongside former United teammate Scott McTominay in Naples with some eye catching moments adorning him to the home faithful. However, Hojlund will be aiming for an even more fruitful 2026 knowing he might well be the difference maker in Napoli’s chase for the Serie A title. Romelu Lukaku’s fitness issues have meant Hojlund has fast become the main man in Conte’s attacking arsenal, and the experienced Italian coach clearly trusts the 22-year-old to lead his team to glory. For Napoli to retain their Scudetto crown, Hojlund would likely need to more than double his current tally of 6 league goals which has earned him his spot in the starting XI at the turn of the year. With his settling in period now firmly under his belt, Hojlund will be eyeing personal honours alongside the first league title of his career outside of his native Denmark. The striker is currently joint third in the race for Serie A’s Golden Boot and just three behind leader Lautaro Martinez who is launching Inter’s bid for a 21st league title. However, with Kevin De Bruyne aiming to return from injury in the coming weeks, Napoli are expecting a strong second half of the campaign. The Manchester City legend could hold the key to the team’s and Hojlund’s success. The pace of the Italian top flight lends perfectly to both De Bruyne and Hojlund’s respective styles of play with the duo already showing their ability to link up before the Belgian’s spell on the sidelines. A fit De Bruyne is a dream for a striker like Hojlund who feeds off balls in behind and chances created in goalscoring areas. Hojlund’s final game before the New Year saw him bag a brace away from home at Cremonese. As is the case with many strikers, Hojlund’s game relies on confidence and that is something he will be taking into 2026 in abundance. His bursts of goals have come in batches since his arrival and if he can find a way to stretch his scoring runs in 2026, it would take a brave man to bet against him scooping all the gold come the end of May. If Hojlund is on top of his game, he can turn one goal into two in a game on a regular basis. Bagging a few more braces will do him a lot of good in his mission to end as the top scorer and show United exactly what they are missing in the process. This is a view shared by respected Italian journalist Sandro Sabatini, who has tipped Hojlund for a strong second half. “I say Hojlund surprisingly (for top scorer). Lautaro is the favourite, I don’t think Pulisic will keep the same goal average he has had so far, even if he will take away a lot of satisfaction, but I think Hojlund is the most launched, also because I believe that Hojlund will keep his place as a starter even when he returns to Lukaku,” he said. Hojlund has so far proved to be a good piece of business for Conte’s side, and a prolific second half could turn good into truly inspired. Should the striker fire them to their third Scudetto in four seasons and their fourth overall, the young Dane will be forever etched in the history of the famous old club and secure his permanent transfer with smiles aplenty. Parent club United, on the other hand, appear to have resolved the attacking issues that plagued them so badly last season but are ultimately still struggling to find the formula to break into the top four of the Premier League, let alone win a league title. Manager’s tenures typically hinge on their signings and Amorim will be desperate for Hojlund’s replacement, Sesko, to catch fire heading into the New Year to ensure he gets the time to carry on his work at Old Trafford that is seemingly coming under more pressure with each passing week. Featured image Francesco Pecoraro via Getty Images The Peoples Person has been one of the world’s leading Man United news sites for over a decade. Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social Conner Botterill Conner Botterill has been with The Peoples Person for three years. A keen match-going red with degrees in Sport and Journalism and Philosophy and Psychology through the Open University. His favourite match attended was the Champions League victory in Paris under one the guidance of one of his idols, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. Conner still believes he has a chance of making United’s first team through his 5-a-side career.