Rasmus Hojlund’s Permanent Transfer to Napoli Faces Uncertainty

Rasmus Hojlund is experiencing a resurgence at Napoli after two challenging years at Manchester United. His loan spell is yielding positive results.

The Denmark international joined United in 2023 from Atalanta for £72 million but struggled to justify the hefty price. In 95 matches, he scored just 26 goals and provided 6 assists. However, he is already surpassing his goal contributions per game at Napoli.

This season, Hojlund has netted seven goals and registered three assists in 19 matches. He also celebrated his first trophy as Napoli claimed the Supercoppa Italiana this past weekend.

Despite this promising beginning, the possibility of a permanent transfer after his loan remains uncertain.

According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, reported by Il Bianconero, Napoli is facing financial issues that could result in a transfer ban in 2026.

The report highlights the club’s Extended Labour Costs over Revenue ratio, which must be above 0.8. It assesses the team’s wage and staffing expenses against its revenue.

After an independent review, both Napoli and Pisa were found to be below the compliance threshold.

Consequently, the Serie A champions can only acquire new players in January based on a “zero balance” window, meaning they can only spend what they earn from player sales.

For the summer, stricter rules apply, with a threshold of 0.7. For instance, if Napoli has £75 million in Extended Labour Costs and £100 million in revenue, they can comply in January but not later in the summer.

To increase the chances of Hojlund’s £38 million move, Napoli must secure more from player sales than they plan to spend in the winter window.

At minimum, they will need to sell £38 million worth of players in the summer to afford Hojlund’s transfer, meaning the financial situation is becoming increasingly pressing.