Copy linkFacebookXPinterestEmailShare this article 0Join the conversationFollow usAdd us as a preferred source on GoogleNewsletterSubscribe to our newsletterManchester United will conclude their season at Brighton this weekend, knowing that third place in the Premier League is theirs, as a campaign which began poorly will end with a return to the Champions League.Michael Carrick took the reins as interim Manchester United boss in January when the club called time on Ruben Amorims tenure and the former England and Red Devils midfielder has delivered the teams best campaign for three years, paving the way for him to be named permanent boss.When that is confirmed, Carrick will be able to look forward to a full pre-season in the job, when he will no doubt have a say on how the club conduct their business in the transfer window. You may like Manchester United receive eight-figure boost to summer transfer kitty with shrewd business decision Why Manchester United could receive �38m cash windfall TONIGHT Manchester United cool interest in Newcastle United star ahead of summer 'revamp': report Manchester United set for �38m windfallFourFourTwo's essential 2026 World Cup pack!Get your hands on the newest issue of FourFourTwo - our ultimate World Cup pack! Featuring: Englands American dream, Jordan Pickford and Morgan Rogers, Scotlands return, Mauricio Pochettino Q&A, biggest upsets plus a huge wallchart and preview special!View DealLast summer, the club had a transfer spend of more than �200 million, with the focus being on the clubs attacking corps, as the likes of Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Sesko were all brought in.This retooling of the attack also saw a number of loan exits and one of these has resulted in an end-of-season windfall, with a former Red Devils star playing a key role.Rasmus Hojlund joined Manchester United in the summer of 2023 in a �64million move from Atalanta, but a return of just 14 goals from 62 Premier League appearances over two seasons saw him fall out of favour at Old Trafford.The Danish international moved back to Serie A last summer, joining Napoli on a season-long loan which included an obligation to buy if the Italian side qualified for the Champions League this season.Get FourFourTwo NewsletterThe best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week.Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.Hojlund quickly established himself in Antonio Contes side and while champions Inter have left all-comers in their wake this season and derailed Napolis title defence, the Naples side were able to seal Champions League spot on Sunday, when they eased to a 3-0 victory over already-relegated Pisa.Hojlund netted his 15th goal of the campaign when he scored against Pisa and joined his former Manchester United team-mate Scott McTominay on the scoresheet.McTominay, who joined Napoli in the summer of 2024 has again been one of the clubs driving forces this term and Manchester United will certainly be thanking the Lancaster-born Scot for helping Napoli reach the Champions League and activating the resulting �38million clause for making Hojlunds deal a permanent one.In FourFourTwos view, this is a transfer that makes sense for all parties.Hojlund - who is currently valued at 50million by Transfermarkt - was clearly not clicking at Old Trafford and as a result his value was tanking. While the club have had to swallow a loss on the �64million they paid to land him from Ajax three years ago, holding onto a player they do not want could end up being even more costly.Now, Manchester United will be able to go into the summer window with more financial firepower to go along with the clout that offering Champions League football will bring as they look to upgrade their squad for a return to Europes top table.TOPICSRasmus HojlundTransfer newsJoe MewisSocial Links NavigationFor more than a decade, Joe Mewis has worked in football journalism as a reporter and editor. Mewis has had stints at Mirror Football and LeedsLive among others and worked at FourFourTwo throughout Euro 2024, reporting on the tournament. In addition to his journalist work, Mewis is also the author of four football history books that include times on Leeds United and the England national team. Now working as a digital marketing coordinator at Harrogate Town, too, Mewis counts some of his best career moments as being in the iconic Spygate press conference under Marcelo Bielsa and seeing his beloved Leeds lift the Championship trophy during lockdown.
