Napoli have responded to AC Milan’s accelerated efforts to sign Rasmus Højlund and could now be the Manchester United striker’s preferred transfer destination.
The likelihood of Højlund leaving Old Trafford this summer has significantly increased as the September 1 deadline looms. The Denmark international initially stated in public his desire to stay, but the recent arrival of Benjamin Šeško has coincided with a reported shift in his opinion. He was then left out of the matchday squad altogether for the weekend visit of Arsenal to Old Trafford.
Højlund’s former club, Atalanta, has been mooted as a possible destination in the wake of the surprise sale of Mateo Retegui, last season’s Serie A top scorer, to Al Quadsiah in Saudi Arabia. But AC Milan have been the most heavily linked and were reported in Italy this week to have stepped things up by reaching an agreement with Manchester United over a loan with obligation to buy.
That appeared to put the Rossoneri significantly ahead of Napoli, but the reigning Italian champions are now moving things on themselves. Fabrizio Romano writes that “new contact” was extended from Napoli to Manchester United on Wednesday and talks over a deal are “underway”.
Højlund himself is described as “keen” on the proposed move and so talks with his camp over personal terms are also concurrently taking place. The key factor, however, is assurances that joining Napoli wouldn’t be a temporary one-season deal—he wants “guarantees” of a longer stay.
Whether as a direct consequence or not, Milan’s striker attention appears to have suddenly diverted away from Højlund. Progress has been made in efforts to sign Bayer Leverkusen’s Victor Boniface, who would almost certainly be an alternative to Højlund, rather than in addition to.
According to an earlier Fabrizio Romano update shortly before the Napoli-Højlund revelation, “formal documents” are being prepared for a Boniface loan with €30 million (£26 million, $35 million) option to buy, following a verbal agreement between Milan and Leverkusen. But the Nigeria international still has to personally accept the transfer and talks with his agent are ongoing.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Man Utd Forward Sidelined by Ruben Amorim ‘Keen’ on Napoli Transfer After ‘New Contact’.
