Peter Schmeichel believes Manchester United are making a mistake selling 'absolutely fantastic' striker Rasmus Hojlund. Hojlund has spent this season on loan at Napoli, where he has scored 14 goals in 41 appearances. As part of last summer's loan deal, Napoli agreed to sign Hojlund on a permanent transfer if they qualified for the Champions League. Sitting second in Serie A with three games remaining, Antonio Conte's side are almost guaranteed to qualify for next season's Champions League, meaning Hojlund will remain in Naples.
Manchester United legend Schmeichel wishes Hojlund was returning to Old Trafford this summer, however, and says he could have been 'absolutely fantastic' for the Red Devils. Much was expected of the Denmark international following his £72m move from Atalanta in 2023 and Hojlund netted 16 goals in his first season at the Premier League giants. But Hojlund endured a more difficult second season at United, scoring just four goals in the Premier League, and the club opted to move him on last summer.
His replacement, £73m signing Benjamin Sesko, had an underwhelming start to his Old Trafford career but has improved in the second-half of the season, scoring 11 Premier League goals. Manchester United may still look to sign another striker this summer to support Sesko, however, and Schmeichel says it is 'a shame' that Hojlund will not be returning.
'I think the deal is if Napoli qualify for the Champions League then they are obliged to sign Rasmus Hojlund permanently,' Schmeichel said on The Good, The Bad & The Football podcast. 'So that's a bit of a shame because I like Hojlund by the way and think he could have been absolutely fantastic. But I don't think he wants to come back and I don't think he can because Napoli have already qualified for the Champions League.'
Fellow former Manchester United star Nicky Butt described the club's treatment of Hojlund as 'wrong' and fears they will do the same to 22-year-old Slovenia international Sesko. 'What they did with Hojlund was wrong because they brought a young boy in who's not got any Premier League experience and asked him to carry Manchester United,' Butt said. 'I'm scared they're going to do that with Sesko. I know Sesko has done really well of late but they still need to get another centre forward, we had four top players in that position.'
Manchester United will join Napoli in next season's Champions League and are on course for a third-place finish in the Premier League after Sunday's 3-2 win over Liverpool. United, who have impressed under interim boss Michael Carrick, finish the 2025-26 campaign with games against Sunderland, Nottingham Forest and Brighton.
