Journalist Laurie Whitwell of The Athletic claims that Manchester United attacker Rasmus Hojlund believes he is superior to summer acquisition Benjamin Sesko.
The Red Devils told his Danish counterpart to depart after acquiring the Slovenian international from RB Leipzig for €85 million.
Hojlund, 22, wanted to stay and prove himself to Man United head coach Ruben Amorim, but he signed a season-long loan to Napoli.
In the hopes that his performances during training sessions would persuade the Portuguese to keep him, he was prepared to stay at the Old Trafford club and prove himself superior than Sesko.
Given that Napoli is paying a €6 million loan fee and has a €44 million buyout option that becomes a commitment if they win the Champions League, the Denmark international may have played his final game for Man United.
From the time Sesko was signed, the team made it apparent that Hojlund’s talents were no longer needed, benching him for Matheus Cunha up top in the U.S. tour finale against Everton.
He was not used in the subsequent match against Fiorentina and only played 18 minutes as a substitute.
The Red Devils forward was completely left off of the matchday roster for the season’s first Premier League matchup against Arsenal.
Additionally, Hojlund was excluded from the excursions to Grimsby Town and Fulham, and Man United ultimately received what they wanted.
He signed a five-year contract with an additional year’s option when he joined the Red Devils from Atalanta in the summer of 2023 for an initial £64 million plus £8 million in performance-related add-ons.
His record of ten goals in 52 appearances last season (including four league goals) was sufficient to persuade Manchester United that they needed a new number nine after he scored 16 goals in 43 games in his debut campaign.
It remains to be seen whether they have made the right decision as Sesko has yet to hit the ground running, with no goals or assists in four games, and Hojlund will be desperate to prove himself on his return to Italy.
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