Allegri sets Hojlund 20-goal target at Napoli after £38m move from Manchester United

Massimiliano Allegri has publicly challenged Rasmus Hojlund to score 20 goals for Napoli this season, a target the 23-year-old never came close to meeting during his two years at Manchester United. The Danish striker completed a permanent move to the Serie A club this summer for £38m, having spent last season on loan at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.

Hojlund managed 12 goals and five assists in 33 Serie A appearances under Antonio Conte last season, but Allegri — who reportedly tried to sign the forward during his tenure at AC Milan — is demanding more. According to Gazzetta dello Sport, the new Napoli head coach has set the 20-goal benchmark as a clear expectation for the campaign ahead.

The figure puts Hojlund’s United record in sharp relief. He scored 16 goals in all competitions in his debut season at Old Trafford, then followed that with just ten in 52 appearances in 2024-25, only four of which came in the Premier League. The club, now managed by Michael Carrick, received the £38m fee to make the transfer permanent.

Hojlund’s combined transfer cost — incorporating last season’s loan fee, this summer’s permanent fee, and add-ons — makes him the most expensive forward in Napoli’s history, surpassing the fees paid for Victor Osimhen, Hirving Lozano, and Gonzalo Higuain.

At Napoli, Hojlund has reunited with former United teammate Scott McTominay. The pair were unable to help the club retain the Serie A title last season, with Napoli finishing 11 points behind champions Inter.

Allegri, speaking ahead of the new campaign, was bullish about Napoli’s prospects despite Inter’s head start as defending champions. “I reckon we’re set for an exciting and balanced Serie A season,” he said. “Inter are the defending champions, so they’ll start with an advantage, but there are at least eight well-equipped sides who are capable of competing for the top spots.”

The Napoli boss also paid tribute to his predecessor. “I’ve inherited an excellent squad from a great coach in Antonio Conte. He did a top job here. This makes me optimistic, as does the willingness the lads have shown me since I walked in the building.”

Whether Hojlund can hit the 20-goal mark that eluded him throughout his United career will be one of the more compelling individual storylines in Serie A this season.