"A bigger shock": Man Utd star says he didn't expect £38m star to leave the club

Manchester United defender Patrick Dorgu has admitted that he was caught off guard by the club’s decision to part ways with striker Rasmus Hojlund this summer.

The Red Devils sanctioned Hojlund’s loan move to Napoli on deadline day. The Serie A outfit have the option to buy for £38 million, which will become mandatory under certain conditions.

In an exclusive interview with Ekstra Bladet (page 58), Dorgu spoke on different matters. One of those was related to the departures of compatriots Christian Eriksen and Hojlund from United.

The left wing-back said that everyone knew what would happen with Eriksen as his contract expired in the summer, but it was perhaps a ‘bigger shock’ that Hojlund had to move on.

He said: “That’s how it is in football. You never know when it’s your turn to move on. We knew it would happen to Christian, but it was perhaps a bigger shock that Rasmus had to move on.

“I talked to him a lot during the process and could sense which way it was going. Hopefully, we will now see each other every time on the national team.”

Hojlund had a good debut campaign with the Red Devils. He had concerns over consistency, but still managed 16 goals, including 10 in the Premier League.

There was anticipation that he would better his statistics during the 2024/25 season, but things went pear-shaped for him with just four league goals.

This paved the way for a change upfront. The Red Devils made a huge outlay to bring in Benjamin Sesko, who should become an undisputed starter in the coming months.

Hojlund was well aware of the situation. With the need for playing time to develop, the Dane chose to join Napoli, who have provided assurances for his future.

The Serie A champions are most likely to sign him permanently next summer. United will be hoping for the same to receive a financial boost for future spending.

Stats from Transfermarkt.com

Article written by Sri Aswin .