Man Utd
Why Rasmus Højlund Left Manchester United: His Version of Events
Højlund explains his Manchester United exit, Napoli move, Conte’s influence and Lukaku’s role. Today.
Stood in the bowels of Chicago’s Soldier Field, drenched in sweat after scoring two goals in a statement preseason victory over Bournemouth, Rasmus Højlund assured journalists passing through the mixed zone that he would be staying at Manchester United that summer “whatever happens.”
That assurance and the chain of events that followed are now clearer from Højlund’s perspective. He says United made it plain he was not part of the manager’s plans, and that prompted a move away from Old Trafford. “United made it quite clear for me that I wasn’t part of the plans for this year coming into the season, and with no European football and that sort of things,” he says, four months into a loan spell at Napoli which contains an conditional obligation to buy should the reigning Serie A title holders qualify for the Champions League next season.
“I’m young, I have to play football,” Højlund adds, “and for that reason, I think this was also a good opportunity for me.”
In the weeks between that preseason promise and his departure, Manchester United completed the signing of Benjamin Šeško from RB Leipzig in a deal which could cost up to £73.7 million, eclipsing the £72 million United paid for Højlund two years earlier. Højlund was left out of Ruben Amorim’s squad for the first three Premier League games and watched as Šeško and co. were knocked out of the Carabao Cup second round by Grimsby Town.
When Napoli expressed interest Højlund acted quickly. “Napoli saw an opportunity to go and get me and as soon as I heard the interest from them, I made it quite obvious for my camp and for the people around that I only wanted to to go there.” Negotiations were led by Giovanni Manna, there were conversations with Scott McTominay, and a short exchange with Antonio Conte sealed the move. “It was a quite short conversation,” he remembers. “But a very, very good one.”
On Conte he says, “I think he’s an incredible coach,” and “When he calls you, you just have to say yes.” In fewer than 1,000 minutes of Serie A action Højlund has already bettered his final Premier League season tally, scoring within 15 minutes of his debut after a switch to a 3-4-3 system.
On Romelu Lukaku he is effusive. “Rom is a fantastic guy,” he says. “I didn’t really know him from before,” he admits, “I’ve had a couple of chats with him, like on the pitch, and I’ve actually got a Romelu shirt at home. He’s a bit of an idol for me, because I’ve always looked up to him, actually.” With Lukaku returning from a serious hamstring injury, Højlund accepts there will be competition: “obviously, I want to play,” he says, and is quick to add, “I want to learn from him as well because I feel like he can give me so much,” and “because he’s always been scoring goals, and he’s great at linking the play and these sort of things. I think he has a lot he can give out as well.”
Fulham
Cunha Salvages Point as United’s Dip Draws Concern
Cunha’s late equaliser spared United defeat, but a poor second-half dip raised fresh concerns.
Matheus Cunha rescued a 1-1 draw for Manchester United at Craven Cottage after Lisandro Martínez’s own goal had given Fulham the advantage. It was a result that spared United a defeat, but it did little to calm the criticism that followed a second-half collapse in intensity.
The first half was lively enough without producing a goal, with United showing occasional fluency through quick passing and tidy combinations. After the interval, though, the level dropped sharply. That decline became the major talking point of the afternoon, especially after Gary Neville described the 15 minutes after halftime as the “worst” he’d ever seen his club play since he started watching the Red Devils as a 5-year-old in 1980.
Michael Carrick will take the point, but the performance against one of the Premier League’s early strugglers raised more questions than answers. United looked most dangerous when speed entered their play, yet that rhythm was too infrequent to control the contest for long.
Marcus Rashford’s display summed up the frustration. Having lost some of the momentum that followed his reintegration, the England international wasted several promising openings and never found the conviction United needed. His lack of intensity in front of goal matched the wider drop-off in the team’s attacking cohesion.
There were brighter individual showings. Senne Lammens impressed in the first half despite limited success with Fulham’s goal, while Bruno Fernandes came close to scoring when he struck the post. Kobbie Mainoo also maintained his standards before being withdrawn late on, and Cunha finished with a decisive contribution after earlier involvement in the goal sequence at the other end.
In the end, United left with a draw that felt more like a warning than a recovery.
Fulham
Šeško ruled out as United wait on injury assessment
Šeško missed United’s visit to Fulham while Carrick waits on an injury assessment.
Benjamin Šeško was absent from Manchester United’s squad for the trip to Fulham after Michael Carrick confirmed the striker is being assessed over an unspecified injury.
Carrick had managed Šeško carefully at the start of the season, using him as a substitute in United’s first four Premier League matches. The 23-year-old was then fit to start the club’s opening Champions League game of the campaign, where he scored in the win over Sabah FK, and he also featured in Wednesday’s Carabao Cup meeting with Brighton & Hove Albion.
Earlier this month, Šeško had sounded upbeat about his recovery, saying: “I think waiting a little bit longer was a great decision, and now it’s healed, so it’s perfect,” Šeško insisted earlier this month.
Carrick’s latest update offered little clarity on the situation. Speaking to Sky Sports, he said: “He pulled up after the game the other day with a little bit of pain, so we’ll have to see how he is,” was all the Manchester United manager would offer.
In Šeško’s absence, Matheus Cunha kept his place through the middle. That decision left some fans frustrated, particularly with Amad Diallo unavailable on the right and Bryan Mbeumo regularly deployed there instead of being used as a central option.
Cunha brings link play and combines neatly with Bruno Fernandes, but he does not offer the same direct running that Mbeumo provides. Even so, Fulham’s tendency to leave space for opponents this season means United may still find openings without Šeško.
There is also anticipation around Carlos Baleba, who has still not made his Manchester United debut. Signed for $93.7 million (£70 million) and unveiled almost a month ago, he arrived from Brighton with an ankle injury. His first appearance could be confirmed at Craven Cottage.
Man Utd
United’s Left-Back Gamble Leaves Carrick Short Again
United strengthened midfield but left back remains unresolved, and Carrick must manage until January.
Manchester United spent the summer reshaping one part of the squad while leaving another unresolved, and the decision is already showing its limits. Michael Carrick had identified left back as a priority at one stage of the window, but the club never delivered the reinforcement he wanted.
United explored several options. A move for Lewis Hall was attempted, but Newcastle United would not shift. After Carrick clarified his preferences, the club also looked at Arsenal’s Miles Lewis-Skelly, according to Ornstein. Even so, attention soon moved elsewhere as United pushed through a third midfield signing of the summer, with their long-standing interest in Carlos Baleba finally paying off.
Ornstein later reported that a Deadline Day loan move for Manchester City’s Rayan Aït-Nouri was considered, but United were not willing to accept the obligation-to-buy clause City wanted. A loan for Barcelona’s Alejandro Balde also came under review, yet Barcelona were only open to an outright sale. By the time the window closed, the left-back issue remained untouched.
That outcome was not without context. Midfield reconstruction had become the main target after Casemiro departed, while Manuel Ugarte would likely have followed if not for the ACL injury he suffered at the World Cup. With Kobbie Mainoo and Bruno Fernandes potentially the only senior midfield options, recruitment in that area was treated as essential, particularly with Champions League football returning and the schedule becoming more demanding.
The midfield rebuild still brought setbacks. A move for Atalanta’s Éderson fell through late on, and United also missed out on Matheus Fernandes and Elliot Anderson, both of whom joined other big Premier League clubs. Even so, the club redirected its resources and spent in the region of $200 million to bring in Santos from Chelsea, Tielemans from Aston Villa and Baleba from Brighton & Hove Albion.
Less than 10 games into the campaign, the lack of depth at left back is already obvious. Luke Shaw has missed United’s last two matches, Patrick Dorgu has been used there despite being signed as a winger last season, Harry Amas has already been introduced in the role, and Ornstein has also suggested Noussair Mazraoui as another option.
