Hojlund snubbed Milan before moving from Man Utd to Napoli: the background

Rasmus Hojlund could have ended up at Milan before his move away from Manchester United, but the striker ultimately rejected the Rossoneri in favour of Napoli due to sporting and contractual guarantees.

According to journalist Matteo Moretto, via MilanNews, Milan had put a serious proposal on the table for the Denmark international during talks with Manchester United.

The Rossoneri offered a paid loan worth €3.5m, with an option to buy set at €35m, a sizeable operation that underlined their interest in reshaping the attack around the Dane.

Despite the financial commitment, negotiations never truly gathered momentum. The decisive factor was not United’s stance, but Hojlund’s own assessment of the move.

The striker carefully evaluated the sporting context and ultimately decided that Milan’s proposal did not fully meet his requirements.

Two elements proved crucial.

First, Hojlund was determined to continue playing in the Champions League, a competition he views as essential for his development and international profile.

Secondly, he wanted clear guarantees over a permanent transfer rather than a deal dependent on conditions or future negotiations.

Napoli were able to offer exactly that.

The Partenopei moved with greater conviction, presenting Hojlund with a defined technical project and firm assurances over the buy clause, which proved decisive.

Milan are left with some regret over an ambitious move that fell apart due to the player’s demands rather than a lack of intent from the club.