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Manchester United have officially confirmed that Rasmus Hojlund will be departing Old Trafford permanently, a decision that has reportedly left former striker Michael Owen unhappy.

The Danish forward, who spent the 2025/26 season on loan at Napoli, is now set to join the Serie A side on a full-time basis. The 23-year-old enjoyed an impressive season in Italy, scoring 16 goals and providing eight assists across 44 appearances in all competitions for Napoli.

Under the terms of the loan agreement, Napoli were obliged to make the transfer permanent if they secured qualification for the UEFA Champions League for the upcoming season. After finishing second in Serie A, Napoli confirmed their place in Europe’s elite competition for the 2026/27 campaign, thereby triggering the purchase clause.

Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has revealed that Napoli will pay Manchester United €44 million for Hojlund, in addition to the €6 million loan fee already paid last summer, bringing the total deal to €50 million (£43.2 million).

Romano posted at 11:22 am on June 3: “Napoli and Manchester United confirm Rasmus Højlund has joined the Italian club on a permanent deal, triggering the obligation to buy clause. €44m fee after €6m loan fee paid last summer.”

Manchester United released an official statement confirming the transfer: “Rasmus Hojlund has joined Napoli on a permanent transfer. The Denmark international spent last season on loan at the Italian club, scoring 16 times in 44 games across all competitions, and has now permanently joined the Neapolitans.”

The club added, “The boyhood United fan signed from Atalanta in the summer of 2023 and went on to score 26 goals in 95 appearances. He was part of the Reds squad that lifted the Emirates FA Cup in May 2024, coming on as a substitute against Manchester City at Wembley. At the start of the 2025/26 season, Hojlund returned to Italy on a season-long loan, helping Napoli win the Supercoppa Italiana and finish runners-up in Serie A. Everyone at the club wishes Rasmus the very best for the future.”

This announcement is likely to disappoint Michael Owen, who previously urged Manchester United to bring Hojlund back to the squad under manager Michael Carrick. Speaking to Metro on May 18, Owen had suggested that United should cancel the loan deal and reintegrate the striker at Old Trafford.

Owen remarked, “I don’t care who you play up front, it’s very hard to judge when the team isn’t functioning. Strikers are the end of the chain; if the chain is broken, it’s pointless in many ways. I would love to see Hojlund and what he can do now. He played in a Manchester United side that wasn’t connecting and performed poorly. Who’s to say he’s not a very good player? He’s doing really well in Italy at the moment.”

He added, “It’s similar with Sesko. It was hard to judge before, but now that the team structure is working, you can see their potential more clearly. I just wonder how much talent has been wasted over the years. Everyone says the signings have been poor, and that may be true, but sometimes players don’t get a fair chance because they lack proper service.”