Rasmus Højlund is hopeful of drawing a line under his time with Manchester United as he eyes a permanent move to Napoli.
The Dane initially put up a fight for his future at Old Trafford this summer, publicly confirming his desire to stay and rebuffing all offers to take him away on a season-long loan. But the arrival of Benjamin Šeško and the fact manager Ruben Amorim continued to leave him out of matchday squads forced a rethink.
Højlund eventually accepted a loan offer from Napoli, whose bid includes a conditional obligation to make the move permanent based on the team’s final Serie A standing.
While there is not yet any certainty about his future, Højlund confirmed to La Repubblica that he is hopeful of spending several years in Naples after spending the early years of his career spread across several countries.
“I also played in Austria before, after leaving Denmark as a child,” he reflected. “At 22, I already have a lot of experience under my belt. But now I’m in Naples and I plan to stay.”
Højlund spent two years in the United first team but struggled to replicate the form which convinced the Red Devils to part with £72 million ($96.2 million) to secure his signature. A return of 26 goals in 95 games is respectable but fell well short of expectations.
“The football here is very tactical, with lots of man-on-man duels,” Højlund said of life in Serie A. “In the Premier League, however, the pace is a bit higher: everyone is fast, strong, and physically explosive. If I had to point out one difference between the two leagues, it’s precisely that.”
Højlund scored on his Napoli debut, playing his role in a perfect start for Antonio Conte’s side as they look to defend their league title.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as ‘I Plan’—Rasmus Hojlund Confirms Intentions Over Man Utd Future.
