Man Utd star finally set to agree to transfer after former team-mate steps in

Napoli are advancing in their pursuit of Rasmus Hojlund after the Manchester United striker held talks with his former team-mate, Scott McTominay , over a possible move to the Italian champions.

Hojlund, 22, only moved to Old Trafford back in the summer of 2023 for £72million from Atalanta but has struggled to establish himself as United's first-choice striker, scoring just 14 Premier League goals across two seasons. And with Benjamin Sesko arriving for big money earlier in the transfer window, Hojlund has fallen down the pecking order under Ruben Amorim .

There has been plenty of interest in the Denmark international's services from Italy this summer following Hojlund's time in Serie A with Atalanta. And while previous reports have indicated Hojlund is keen to stay and fight for his place, a move away is now close .

Corriere dello Sport report that Napoli are now on the verge of convincing Hojlund to move following an intervention from McTominay, who played with the striker before swapping Manchester for Naples last summer.

The Scotland midfielder, 28, has enjoyed tremendous success since joining Napoli, with his stellar form during last year's Scudetto-winning campaign - where he scored 12 times in 34 league games - even earning him a Ballon d'Or nomination.

The report adds that McTominay's call is likely to be 'decisive' in Hojlund agreeing to return to Italy with Napoli pushing for a loan deal with an obligation to make the move permanent later down the line. It's said United would consider a proposal which includes a €5million (£4.3m) loan fee plus a mandatory purchase price of €40m (£34.5m).

Hojlund was omitted from the Manchester United squad that travelled to London for Sunday's 1-1 draw with Fulham ; Mason Mount started in attack alongside summer recruits Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo with Sesko coming off the bench in the second half.

Amorim has opted to ease Sesko into life in the Premier League following his big-money arrival from RB Leipzig but that has baffled Andy Gray, who cannot fathom why the striker is not already starting games for United.

"I don’t get it. I am flabbergasted," the beIN SPORTS pundit said over the weekend. "I moved to clubs for big money during my career and trust me, I didn’t need three or four weeks to understand the team.

"Sesko is an international footballer, played in the Bundesliga, he cost more than £70m… are you telling me he can’t go into that Manchester United team as a centre forward and play there? Come on! I must have missed something, seriously.

"If you’re a United fan, you want Sesko up there with Mbeumo and Cunha. He’s had a pre-season in Germany, he’s fit and ready to go. I’m staggered, I don’t get it."

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