Former Manchester United player shines in the Champions League, Hojlund scores twice with a subtle jab at Amolin! Rashford is not angry but pleased, a 100 million deal in sight

Hojlund, the Manchester United striker on loan at Napoli, demonstrated his quality again by netting a brace in the Champions League group match against Sporting CP, the old club of Red Devils’ boss Ruben Amolin. His goal celebration seemed to be a subtle taunt directed at Manchester United and Amolin.

Hojlund's first goal occurred in the 36th minute when De Bruyne made a breakthrough and provided a precise through pass, allowing Hojlund to calmly score past Rui Silva. His second goal was also assisted by De Bruyne, with the Danish striker heading the ball into the net.

Hojlund’s way of celebrating included pointing to the Napoli badge and, after his second goal, pointing at the Champions League emblem on his sleeve. Many fans interpreted this as a mockery of his former club Manchester United and manager Amolin: Napoli trusts me, and now I’m scoring in the Champions League!

Some fans also referenced Cristiano Ronaldo’s aquarium metaphor, suggesting that the Red Devils’ environment was toxic, causing players to struggle at Old Trafford but regain vitality after leaving. De Bruyne, Hojlund’s teammate, also questioned Manchester United’s management: “Rasmus (Hojlund) is very talented; as a striker, his movement smells like goals. This is crucial for him and the team. He had a great night, which will help us score more goals together.”

After joining Manchester United for £73 million at age 22, Hojlund had a promising first season but began to decline in his second. When Amolin took charge, he gave Hojlund many starting opportunities, but the “freight train” underperformed. As a result, the Red Devils decided to offload him this summer. Hojlund wanted to stay, but after Amolin signed Szeszko, Hojlund was excluded from the squad list and ultimately agreed to a last-minute loan move to Napoli.

Now having scored three goals for Napoli, Hojlund said: “This is a dream night, playing in the Champions League. I don’t like talking about my own performance; the focus should be on the whole team. Playing alongside a genius like De Bruyne is very special. Whenever I find space, he delivers the ball to me.”

He also joked about the unexpected chemistry with a Manchester City player: “Hojlund scored twice in the Champions League, with De Bruyne assisting both times — that wasn’t on my 2025 wish list!” he wrote on social media. This was seen as a subtle criticism of Manchester United, where teammates often didn’t trust him enough to pass the ball.

Hojlund was rightly named the best player of the match, marking the second time a Manchester United loanee has won the Champions League group stage’s single-match best player award. The previous recipient was Rashford, who also scored twice in a match when Barcelona faced Newcastle in the opening round.

In this round, 27-year-old Rashford did not score but provided an assist, delivering a cross from the left that helped Ferran Torres open the scoring. Unfortunately, Barcelona lost 1-2 to reigning champions Paris Saint-Germain. Nevertheless, Rashford’s stats this season — 3 goals and 4 assists in 9 games — have earned him recognition at Barcelona.

Barcelona’s sporting director Deco publicly praised Rashford this week: “He has delivered what we expected. He is a very high-level player who rose to fame young and had a great season at Manchester United. However, the club went through complex managerial changes, and perhaps he struggled because United demanded too much from him. We enjoy working with him, and that’s the most important thing.”

Deco stated that Barcelona’s decision to buy Rashford permanently will only be made after this season ends. “It’s a straightforward loan deal without punitive clauses. If we want to keep him, we have a purchase option. But discussing next season now is premature; what matters is that we are satisfied with him. The decision will come, but not right now.”

When asked how much Barcelona might pay to buy Rashford, Deco was reluctant to specify: “I don’t know. It’s not that high, but I don’t have to say. There are contracts between clubs that will need to be negotiated later.”

It is reported that Sir Jim Ratcliffe and the INEOS management team are not upset about the strong performances of Manchester United’s loaned players; on the contrary, they are pleased because good displays increase the likelihood of permanent transfers next summer, bringing higher revenue to the club.

According to reports, Napoli must qualify for next season’s Champions League to trigger a €40 million buyout clause for Hojlund. Meanwhile, Barcelona can choose to acquire Rashford’s rights for €30 million, although it is widely believed Barcelona will seek to lower this price further since Rashford only wants to stay at Camp Nou, similar to how Real Betis signed Antony.

Amolin publicly expressed Manchester United’s stance last season when Rashford performed well at Aston Villa. The Red Devils’ manager said: “I’m happy for him, and it will benefit our club because good performances mean a higher transfer fee.”

In this round of the Champions League, another former Manchester United player scored — Mason Greenwood for Marseille netted a one-on-one goal against Ajax, celebrating his 24th birthday. Manchester United might also receive a substantial transfer fee share next season from “Aoki’s” transfer, as the club owns 50% of his secondary transfer fee. Reportedly, Marseille values Greenwood at €75 million, with La Liga’s Atlético Madrid interested. If sold at that price, Manchester United would receive €37.5 million.