The Truth Behind Rasmus Hojlund’s Man Utd Exit—Told by the Man Himself

The Dane’s move to Napoli was sudden and unexpected, yet he’s thriving in his new environment.

Rasmus Højlund’s turned his exit into a positive in Naples. / Sports Illustrated

Stood in the bowels of Chicago’s Soldier Field stadium, drenched in sweat after scoring two goals in a statement preseason victory over Bournemouth, Rasmus Højlund assured the journalists passing through the mixed zone that he would be staying at Manchester United that summer “whatever happens.”

Thirty-two days later, he was unveiled as a new Napoli player.

Much has been speculated about the events which took place across that intervening month, with rumours of rifts and retaliations rife. Højlund has offered some clarity amid the clouds of conflicting reports.

“United made it quite clear for me that I wasn’t part of the plans for this year coming into the season, and with no European football and that sort of things,” he tells Sports Illustrated, four months into a loan spell at Napoli which contains an conditional obligation to buy should the reigning Serie A title holders qualify for the Champions League next season.

“I’m young, I have to play football,” Højlund says, “and for that reason, I think this was also a good opportunity for me.”

Across that month of Mancunian uncertainty, Benjamin Šeško was purchased from RB Leipzig in a deal which could cost up to £73.7 million ($99.5 million), surpassing the £72 million United committed on Højlund just two years earlier. The ever-willing Denmark international was notably left out of Ruben Amorim’s squad for the first three Premier League games of the season and watched on from afar as Šeško and co. were humiliatingly knocked out of the Carabao Cup second round by fourth-tier Grimsby Town.

Faced with the unwelcome prospect of becoming the latest United holdout to be shunned by Amorim, Højlund gleefully answered the call from Italy. “Napoli saw an opportunity to go and get me and as soon as I heard the interest from them, I made it quite obvious for my camp and for the people around that I only wanted to to go there.”

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When Conte Calls, You Just Have to Say Yes

Rasmus Højlund (left) is loving life under Antonio Conte. / Elianton/Mondadori Portfolio/Getty Images

Whispers of Napoli’s interest had not been floated for long before Højlund was pictured grinning away in the famous blue shirt. The club’s sporting director Giovanni Manna led negotiations while there were also some words exchanged with his former Manchester United teammate Scott McTominay, but it was a talk with manager Antonio Conte which cemented Højlund’s decision.

“It was a quite short conversation,” he remembers. “But a very, very good one.”

Considering Conte’s fearsome reputation, perhaps a brief exchange was best. This is, after all, the same manager who inspired Andrea Pirlo’s iconic description: “His words assault you. They crash through the doors of your mind, often quite violently, and settle deep within you.”

Højlund managed to come through the discussion largely intact and entirely satisfied. “I think we were both quite clear that it was a good step for me,” he says. “I think we [are] suited, it was a good match.” That much is abundantly obvious already.

In less than 1,000 minutes of Serie A football, Højlund has already surpassed the Premier League goal tally he recorded across his final season in Manchester. The team’s leading scorer found the net within 15 minutes of his debut and has been in rampant form since a switch of formation which lines him up as the figurehead of a 3-4-3 system—ironically, not unlike the one that has caused so many issues for Amorim at United. Conte’s impact is evident.

“I think he’s an incredible coach,” Højlund says of the striker whisperer. “I’ve only seen him do good things almost everywhere he’s been so obviously that was a big part of it. When he calls you, you just have to say yes.”

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Allure of Childhood Idol

Romelu Lukaku is yet to line up alongside Rasmus Højlund, but has been quick to give his fellow striker plenty of advice. / Image Photo Agency/Getty Images

All the talk surrounding Højlund’s Neapolitan sojourn predictably centred around his reunion with McTominay. But for the Dane, it was another ex-Manchester United player who offered an even greater parallel.

“Rom is a fantastic guy,” Højlund says, a warm glow of affection washing over him when the topic of Romelu Lukaku is naturally raised.

“I didn’t really know him from before,” he admits, “I’ve had a couple of chats with him, like on the pitch, and I’ve actually got a Romelu shirt at home. He’s a bit of an idol for me, because I’ve always looked up to him, actually.”

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Alongside his very public affection for Cristiano Ronaldo, Lukaku is one of the touchstones in Højlund’s personal development as a striker. The two left footers are both gifted with rare blends of grace and gusto, equally adept at holding the ball up as sprinting into yawning chasms of open space.

Lukaku has spent the first five months of the campaign recovering from a serious hamstring injury—part of the reason Conte was inclined to secure Højlund’s services—and is only just returning to fitness. There will come a time when the two are competing for the same spot—“obviously, I want to play,” Højlund says with a laugh—but for now, he is in the perfect place to soak up the wisdom of a player who has enjoyed and endured everything a football career can offer.

“I want to learn from him as well because I feel like he can give me so much,” Højlund says of the 32-year-old Belgium icon, “because he’s always been scoring goals, and he’s great at linking the play and these sort of things. I think he has a lot he can give out as well.”

Højlund still has plenty to give himself, which Napoli, rather than Manchester United, will gratefully receive.

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