Why Hojlund remains complicated for Napoli despite opening to obligation to buy | OneFootball

Rasmus Hojlund remains Napoli’s first-choice centre-forward to replace the injured Romelu Lukaku this summer, but a deal for the Dane will still be complicated to pull off due to the expected personal terms.

Hojlund salary demands could be an issue for Napoli

Napoli are searching for a new centre-forward to replace Lukaku, who is expected to miss three to four months of the season after picking up an injury during the team’s final pre-season friendly of the summer, against Olympiacos last week.

A number of strikers have been linked with a move to the Stadio Maradona, but reports from multiple sources, including Football Italia’s Alfredo Pedullà, confirm that Hojlund is the first-choice despite links to Artem Dovbyk, Joshua Zirkzee and Andrea Pinamonti among others.

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – AUGUST 09: Rasmus Hojlund of Manchester United warms up during the pre-season friendly match between Manchester United and ACF Fiorentina at Old Trafford on August 09, 2025 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Matt McNulty/Getty Images)

Reports on Thursday indicated that Napoli have opened up to the idea of signing Hojlund on loan with an obligation to buy. This could be a turning point given that the player would reportedly prefer to go on a permanent deal if he does have to leave Old Trafford this summer, while Napoli had previously been looking at a loan with an option to buy.

One issue remains, however, as reported by Corriere dello Sport.

That is on the expected cost of Hojlund’s salary. Corriere dello Sport claims that the Dane had requested a salary of €6.5m while in negotiations with Milan. Assuming that the situation will be the same with Napoli, there could be a potential issue.