Napoli sporting director Giovanni Manna has described Rasmus Højlund's permanent transfer from Manchester United as a 'formality', with the Denmark striker excelling on loan in Serie A.
Højlund joined the Italian champions last summer and has scored nine goals in 20 appearances, including a double in Sunday's 2-0 win at Cremonese. Napoli currently sit third in Serie A, occupying a Champions League qualification spot.
“We did everything we could to sign him,” Manna told Corriere dello Sport. “There were more storied clubs interested, but his will was crucial. There’s an option to buy and an obligation to buy if we qualify for the Champions League. The player considers himself a Napoli player, and the same goes for us.” Asked if the move was a formality, Manna replied: “As of today, I think so.”
Højlund joined United from Atalanta in August 2023 for £64m plus add-ons, but the fee for his permanent Napoli switch is believed to be £38m. Meanwhile, his replacement at Old Trafford, Benjamin Šeško, has struggled, scoring just twice since his £73.7m move from RB Leipzig.
United finished 2025 in sixth place after a disappointing 1-1 draw with Wolves, which former captain Gary Neville described as “the baddest of the bad”. Neville criticised manager Ruben Amorim's substitutions, particularly the half-time removal of Joshua Zirkzee, who had scored United's only goal. “They made Manchester United worse,” Neville said on his Sky Sports podcast.
