Man United learn brutal Rasmus Hojlund transfer reality as value skyrockets

Rasmus Hojlund has enjoyed an excellent start to his season-long loan with Napoli, and the Serie A stalwarts could bag the striker for a steal next summer if his current market value rings true

Manchester United could be set to miss out on some £30million if Napoli sign Rasmus Hojlund permanently at the end of his loan spell.

That is of course, if his current market value rings true. The 22-year-old striker joined the Serie A stalwarts on a season-long loan this summer after he was deemed surplus to requirements by Ruben Amorim.

And while Hojlund was initially set on remaining at Old Trafford and fighting for his place, despite the arrivals of Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Sesko, it appears as though his choice to move on has paid dividends. The Dane scored just four Premier League goals for United last season, as the club suffered a lacklustre 15th-place finish in the English top flight.

However, in just six appearances across Serie A and the Champions League, Hojlund has already matched that tally under the tutelage of Antonio Conte. As a result, the youngster has seen his market value soar.

While the CIES Football Observatory valued Hojlund at between £51.2m and £65.9m back in May, the experts have now predicted him to be worth between £67.7m and £78.1m. For context, that would represent a decent return on the £72m United paid for Hojlund to bring him to Old Trafford from Atalanta two years ago.

However, United run the risk of missing out on a £30m payday should Hojlund's market value remain the same come season's send, given that Napoli reportedly have a £38m obligation to buy him. It's also a big £32m loss on the fee that the Old Trafford top brass spent to sign him in the first place.

It comes after Hojlund made a major U-turn on his future this summer. Speaking about his endeavours to remain at United, the striker explained during the club's pre-season tour of the United States: "I think my plan is very clear and that is for me to stay and fight for my spot, whatever happens.

"I'm still very young. I think people forget that sometimes. I'm only 22. Obviously, not every striker is scoring 100 goals at the age of 22. But I've learned a lot, I think you can see in my game.

"I'm starting to develop and become even better in the basics. Now it's just about for me to sharpen myself and I've done very well in the pre-season so far.

"I'm just focusing on continuing that. Competition is fine with me. It sharpens me. I'm more than ready. I'm feeling sharp, so I'm welcoming everything that comes. I think it's good with competition and it only sharpens the team."

However, he has since explained three reasons as to why he decided to give Gli Azzuri a chance when the Serie A champions came knocking. Speaking to Radio Kiss, he recently said: "Conte is a top coach.

"I came here because I knew this was an important step for me. Napoli is a great club, and a wonderful place to live. It’s exactly what I need right now in my career."

After a whirlwind start to his Napoli tenure, Hojlund now has a two-week international break to look forward to. He will hope to pick up where he left off with Napoli, when the club return to Serie A action to face Torino come Saturday, October 18.

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