Recently, a journalist wrote a column talking about the performance of Danish striker Rasmus Højlund since joining Napoli this season.
The following is an excerpt from the column:
During the pre-season last summer, Højlund wanted to send a clear signal: although Manchester United was chasing Benjamin Šeško, he was determined to stay at Old Trafford to fight for a place and welcomed competition. However, his goal for the Red Devils in the pre-season match against Bournemouth in Chicago turned out to be his last goal for the club.
A week later, Manchester United reached an agreement with RB Leipzig on Šeško's transfer for £73.7 million; another week later, when Romelu Lukaku suffered a thigh injury in a friendly match against Olympiacos and was sidelined for five months, Højlund received a call from Napoli.
While Šeško struggled to adapt at Manchester United, Højlund has been reborn in Italy — it was his performance at Atalanta that prompted Manchester United to sign him for £72 million in the summer window of 2023. After scoring two goals with his weaker right foot against Cremonese last weekend, Højlund's data this season has been updated to 9 goals and 3 assists, including 6 Serie A goals which put him joint third in the scoring chart, plus 2 Champions League goals and 1 Italian Super Cup goal. After Napoli beat Bologna in the final held in Saudi Arabia before Christmas, Højlund posted a photo of himself lifting the trophy on social media with the caption "That's a wise decision", making no secret of his veiled criticism of his former club.
Antonio Conte values Højlund's physical attributes and believes he is the perfect replacement for Lukaku. The Danish striker not only communicated with the head coach but also with sports director Giuseppe Marotta, and even consulted Scott McTominay, who moved from Manchester United to Napoli in the summer window of 2024 and has shone in Serie A. "Manchester United made it clear that I was not in their plans this season, after all, the team had no European competition qualification," Højlund admitted in an interview this week (Juventus and AC Milan were also interested in him before). “Napoli saw the opportunity to sign me, and I made it clear that I only wanted to go there. So far, I have been very happy here.”
The loan deal cost Napoli £5.24 million, with an obligatory buyout clause: if Conte's team secures Champions League qualification as expected (which is highly likely), they will buy Højlund outright for £38.46 million on July 1st. Even if they fail to qualify for the Champions League, the club still holds an option to buy. Marotta told Italian media this week that the buyout is "just a formality", adding: "The player sees Napoli as the ideal platform to realize his ambitions." President Aurelio De Laurentiis quickly took action to protect the investment by adding a £74.3 million release clause to Højlund's contract, which will take effect from the summer of 2027 — a figure that now seems conservative.
The 22-year-old Højlund has settled well at Napoli. With the help of McTominay, he has quickly integrated into the new environment, and the two often gather with foreign teammates such as Kevin De Bruyne and Billy Gilmour.
His experience of moving to Bergamo with Atalanta at the age of 19 has helped Højlund easily restart his life in Italy and re-learn the language. "It's important to integrate the language into your lifestyle, especially in Italy, because language is a core part of the culture," he said this week. “Now I can understand almost all conversations. I can't chat freely with the locals in Naples yet, but my Italian is improving rapidly.”
Of course, it has not been all smooth sailing: he suffered a two-month goal drought from October to early December last year and missed a penalty against Qarabağ FK in the Champions League. But since Napoli lost to Bologna in Serie A, Conte switched to a 3-4-2-1 formation (the same system favored by Manchester United coach Rúben Amorim), pairing Højlund with winger David Neres — the move has yielded remarkable results: the two have scored 11 of Napoli's 15 goals since then. When Lukaku recovers from injury, Højlund is expected to continue as the core to lead the team in the chase for consecutive titles. Currently, Napoli ranks third behind the Milanese duo and will face Lazio away on Sunday.
Similar to McTominay, Højlund is enjoying a renaissance in Serie A, although there is reason to question whether they would have the same impact if they stayed in the Premier League. After all, Højlund was not short of opportunities at Manchester United: in his debut season, he became the team's top scorer with 16 goals and helped the team win the FA Cup, but only scored 10 goals in his second season (including 5 goals in his first five games under Amorim). Public opinion holds that the young striker was under too much pressure at the time and did not get enough support when Manchester United had their worst season in more than half a century.
"My time in Manchester taught me a lot," he reflected this week. "I played a lot of games under pressure at one of the greatest clubs in history. Maybe I should have had more time, but as a Manchester United fan, it was hard for me to turn down that opportunity. I think I performed well, especially in my first season with a good performance in the Champions League and winning a trophy with my teammates. Now I am more calm, don't jump to conclusions too early, and focus more on the bigger picture. I have become a better player and accumulated more experience."
