MU officially transfers the €75 million striker to Serie A with a special clause

Specifically, the Danish striker will arrive in Italy on August 31 to undergo a medical and sign a contract with the Serie A champions. Napoli views Hojlund as their primary target after Romelu Lukaku suffered a severe injury earlier this month.

Hojlund — who scored 10 goals in 34 games for Atalanta in the 2022/23 season — will return to Serie A after two years at MU. He joined MU in summer 2023 for €75 million but only managed 8 goals in 40 appearances under coach Ruben Amorim last season. Although he wished to stay and compete for his spot, Hojlund was left out of matches against Arsenal and Fulham, clearing the way for this transfer.

At Napoli, Hojlund will reunite with Scott McTominay — who impressed under coach Antonio Conte and was nominated for the Ballon d’Or last year.

MU signed Benjamin Sesko for €76.5 million in early August and has since looked to generate funds by selling players, with Hojlund considered a feasible option. His absence from matchday squads clearly indicates MU’s plans.

The Danish striker attracted interest from Atalanta, RB Leipzig, and Newcastle, but Napoli was the club that made an offer approved by MU.

Competition in MU’s forward line has intensified after Sesko’s arrival from RB Leipzig, alongside Joshua Zirkzee and young talent Chido Obi. New signings Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo have also played as forwards at their former clubs.

Hojlund came through Copenhagen’s academy, debuted in October 2020, then moved to Sturm Graz (Austria) in 2022 before joining Atalanta the same year. Overall, he has played 95 matches for MU, scoring 26 goals and assisting 6 times.

When called up to the Danish national team in June this year, Hojlund expressed his wish to remain at MU and fight for a place: "I have a contract until 2030, so I hope to continue playing for MU. I’m waiting for the summer break and then will fully commit to the club’s project."