Man Utd legend Peter Schmeichel insists that the Red Devils made a mistake by including an obligation in Rasmus Hojlund’s loan deal at Napoli.
The Red Devils made the decision in the summer to offload the Denmark international on loan after his transfer to Old Trafford failed to have the desired impact.
Hojlund scored 14 times in 62 Premier League appearances for Man Utd with just four of those goals coming last season.
The 23-year-old has impressed since joining Napoli with the Dane scoring 14 goals in all competitions for the Serie A outfit this season.
And Hojlund will move to Napoli for £38m in the summer transfer window if the they qualify for the Champions League, which they are almost guaranteed to do.
Schmeichel is frustrated that Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS took the decision to offload Hojlund as the striker “could have been absolutely fantastic” for Man Utd.
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Man Utd legend Schmeichel said on The Good, The Bad & The Football podcast: “I think the deal is if Napoli qualify for the Champions League then they are obliged to sign Rasmus Hojlund permanently.
“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.”
Schmeichel’s former team-mate Nicky Butt described as the treatment Hojlund received from Man Utd as “wrong” and is “scared” that Benjamin Sesko will face the same fate.
Butt added: “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.
“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.”
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Schmeichel and Butt aren’t the only former Man Utd players to feel this way with Michael Owen recently insisting he wants to see what Hojlund “can do now” for the Red Devils.
Owen told Premier League Productions: “I don’t care who you play up front, it’s very hard to judge when the team aren’t functioning.
“Strikers are the end of the chain, if the chain is broken, it’s pointless in many ways. I would love to see Hojlund and see what he can do now.
“He played in a Manchester United team that was broken and didn’t have any links and played poorly. Who’s to say he’s not really good? He’s doing really well in Italy now.
“Sesko is the same, it was hard to judge but now that chain throughout the team is actually working, you are seeing a different type of player.
“I just wonder how much wastage there has been for many years in. Everyone says the purchases have been poor and that might be the case but sometimes they might not get a fair crack of the whip because they don’t get the service.”
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