Antonio Conte reveals the key reason behind Rasmus Hojlund’s surge at Napoli after his dark Manchester United spell
Even though Rasmus Hojlund arrived at Manchester United as a promising young player, he failed to impress in the Premier League, scoring 26 goals in 95 games. Faced with this situation, coach Ruben Amorim decided to let him go, prompting Antonio Conte to take an interest in signing him on loan at Napoli. Against all odds, the Danish star reached his best form in Serie A, and the Italian coach revealed the reasons behind the striker’s resurgence.
“Hojlund is a player who is very young, he’s still only 22 years old, and can improve a great deal. Since he first joined us, he has already progressed to become a dominant player in that role, because he’s starting to understand the right positions to take, how to defend the ball, when to come towards it or back off… He is really well connected with the team… he has huge margin for further improvement,” Antonio Conte said at the latest press conference.
Rasmus Hojlund held coach Ruben Amorim’s support at Manchester United, but the pressure to deliver immediately did not let him progress correctly. Nonetheless, he arrived at Napoli as a sub for Romelu Lukaku, without any need to deliver from the start. With this context and a solid team behind him, the 22-year-old star managed to secure the starting spot over the Belgian veteran, making his permanent transfer to Gli Azzurri a solid chance.
In the 2025-26 season, coach Antonio Conte has managed to transform Hojlund into one of Serie A’s top scorers. Having played 12 games, the Danish striker has scored 6 goals, solidifying his spot as the most influential star in Napoli. If the Italian side secures a UEFA Champions League spot for 2026-27, the 22-year-old star will activate a mandatory €44 million clause, permanently leaving Manchester United.
Hojlund joins Scott McTominay in resurgence outside Manchester United
Far from letting his disappointing spell at Manchester United define his career, Rasmus Hojlund chose to seek a return to Serie A, where he had excited fans a few years ago at Atalanta. While clubs such as Juventus FC showed interest in him, the Dane decided to sign for Napoli, where he reunited with Scott McTominay as one of the team’s undisputed leaders, with both players reborn among the league’s best after leaving the Red Devils.
In light of the resurgence of both former Manchester United players, head coach Antonio Conte decided to deliver a subtle jab at the Red Devils following the Supercoppa Italiana victory. After witnessing this impressive result, Joshua Zirkzee is now looking to follow in the footsteps of Hojlund and McTominay, seeking a move back to Serie A, where AS Roma are reportedly interested in his services to help him rediscover his best version that once made him a promising star.