Manchester United give green light for £38m January striker deal

Soccer Football – Serie A – Napoli v Genoa – Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, Naples, Italy – October 5, 2025 Napoli's Rasmus Hojlund celebrates scoring their second goal REUTERS/Ciro De Luca

Manchester United have given Napoli the green light to sign Rasmus Hojlund on a permanent deal in January. Hojlund has impressed since joining the Serie A champions on a season-long loan over the summer, scoring four goals in six appearances for the club.

Antonio Conte’s men now want to exercise the £38m permanent option in the deal, with the Mirror reporting they hope to conclude negotiations during the upcoming January transfer window. Hojlund joined United in a £72m deal from Atalanta in the summer of 2023, but struggled for impact.

He managed just 14 goals in 62 Premier League appearances over a difficult two seasons in Manchester. During United’s worst ever Premier League campaign in 2024/25, Hojlund scored just four goals in 32 games.

He has already matched that amount in his six games for Napoli, and appears to have rediscovered his best form. He has missed the club’s last three games with injury, but is reportedly happy with life on the Amalfi coast.

United have since reshuffled the deck, spending over £200m on attacking reinforcements over the summer. Benjamin Sesko, Matheus Cunha, and Bryan Mbeumo all joined the new look United side who have now won three Premier League games on the spin for the first time under Ruben Amorim.

The Red Devils could be set to reshuffle once more in January, following rumours of the club’s interest in Real Madrid youngster Endrick. The Brazilian starlet is reportedly seeking a loan move away from Madrid for the second half of the season, with United amongst the club’s most keen.

The rumoured departure for Joshua Zirkzee in January could also accelerate these plans. The Dutchman finds himself in search of first team minutes and could be allowed to find a new club ahead of next summer’s World Cup.

The departure of both Zirkzee and Hojlund could see United dip into the market for more attacking reinforcements. Though Hojlund’s loan means he would not rejoin United until next season anyway, a permanent sale in January might put United on alert for long term cover.

Nadji is a football writer with over 10 years of experience covering the Premier League. His work has been featured on Football Fancast, Arsenal-Mania, and Arsenal.com, where he has built a reputation for delivering sharp analysis, engaging storytelling, and in-depth coverage of the game.