Rasmus Hojlund is set to join Napoli in a permanent €44million (£38m; $51.4m) transfer from Manchester United this summer, after the Italian club secured Champions League qualification for next season.

The Denmark international’s season-long loan move to Napoli included a conditional obligation to make the move permanent should Antonio Conte’s secure a place in Europe’s premier club competition for 2026-27.

Advertisement

That qualification was confirmed on Sunday after second-placed Napoli beat Pisa 3-0, giving them an unassailable five-point lead over fifth-placed Como with one game of the Serie A season remaining. Hojlund set up Scott McTominay’s first-half opener, before adding his side’s third in second-half stoppage time.

Hojlund scored 26 goals across 95 United appearances, but netted just four times in 32 Premier League appearances in the 2024-25 season, preceding his move to Napoli.

United, who received a significant loan fee for the striker for the 2025-26 season, has scored 15 goals in 43 appearances for the Serie A side. Hojlund played such a prominent role at Napoli this season due to Romelu Lukaku’s injury problems, which limited the Belgium international to just seven appearances and one start across all competitions this season.

Hojlund dropped down the pecking order at Old Trafford last summer following the arrivals of Benjamin Sesko, Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo. Between them, those three forwards have scored 29 Premier League goals this term.

Advertisement

The 23-year-old came through the academy at Copenhagen in his native Denmark, making his debut in October 2020. He signed for Austrian club Sturm Graz in 2022 before moving to Serie A club Atalanta later that year.

In July 2023, he arrived at United in a deal worth €75m, plus €10m in performance-related add-ons.

From United’s perspective, the €44m fee is substantially less than the initial €75m paid to sign him in 2023, and in that sense a tough pill to swallow. It is the fifth-largest fee United have ever received, though, and enough to avoid making a loss on his amortised book value.