Rasmus Hojlund says Massimiliano Allegri’s Napoli system gives him more freedom to attack space and showcase his strengths.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
Rasmus Hojlund says the managerial change at Napoli has finally given his game the platform it was asking for, telling La Gazzetta dello Sport that he now has more license to run in behind rather than play with his back to goal.<\/strong><\/p>\n The Denmark international was keen to clarify comments made after Napoli\u2019s clash with Como, insisting they had been misinterpreted and taken out of context.<\/p>\n Hojlund was careful not to disown last season\u2019s work under Antonio Conte, saying the back-to-goal role had worked well and that the team had been successful playing that way.<\/p>\n But for his own style, he believes he can offer more to Napoli\u2019s new setup, describing himself as a quick player capable of attacking space, something he says he did occasionally last year but now has greater freedom to do under Massimiliano Allegri.<\/p>\n The shift comes as Napoli continue building an identity around Allegri\u2019s tactical approach in the early weeks of the campaign, with a testing trip against reigning champions Inter arriving this Saturday.<\/p>\n The striker pointed to Gian Piero Gasperini as the coach who shaped his understanding of offensive, quick football, crediting him with instilling the pressing habits and off-the-ball movement that underpin his game today.<\/p>\n He was quick to dampen any talk of stardom, saying he doesn\u2019t focus on becoming a star but on improving every day, leaving the final judgement on his career to the end of it.<\/p>\n Hojlund managed 12 Serie A goals last season, or 16 across all competitions including the Champions League and Italian Super Cup, numbers Allegri himself has pointed to when discussing the margin for growth still available in his finishing.<\/p>\n Asked bluntly whether this Napoli side can challenge for the Scudetto, Hojlund declined to commit, saying only that it\u2019s important to improve day by day and that time will tell.<\/p>\n It\u2019s a measured response from a player still adjusting to a new system, and one that Napoli\u2019s coaching staff will likely echo as the early-season results and performances against Inter and beyond are assessed.<\/p>\n Hojlund\u2019s comments arrive alongside separate news that captain Giovanni Di Lorenzo has signed a contract extension through June 2030, tying the 33-year-old to the club for another four years beyond his previous 2028 deal.<\/p>\n Elsewhere, Napoli have confirmed a minor heart procedure for Scott McTominay after the onset of a mild, benign arrhythmia, with the midfielder set to undergo pulsed-field ablation in the coming days.<\/p>\n He\u2019s expected to return after the international break, meaning a spell of several weeks on the sidelines, but was quick to reassure supporters over the severity of the issue.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m fine, the procedure was something I\u2019d planned to do with the club for quite a while,\u201d McTominay said. \u201cWe\u2019d already talked about it in pre-season.\u201d<\/p>\n His absence leaves both his short-term availability and his longer-term role as an open question, with the midfielder also confirming there have been no recent talks over extending his contract, which currently runs for two more years.<\/p>\n That\u2019s a fresh strand of uncertainty that echoes the situation around another Napoli midfielder\u2019s future.<\/p>\n Together, the pieces sketch a Napoli squad in flux: a captain locked down for the long haul, a striker publicly embracing a new attacking brief, and a midfielder whose situation demands further clarity.<\/p>\n The next real test of Hojlund\u2019s expanded role arrives quickly, with Saturday\u2019s fixture against Inter offering an early measure of whether Allegri\u2019s system can deliver against the champions themselves.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\nWhat Has Changed In Hojlund\u2019s Role Under Allegri<\/h2>\n
![\"Rasmus\"](\"https:\/\/www.footitalia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/hojlund1-e1759753250743.jpeg\")
<\/p>\nGiovanniDi Lorenzo Signs Napoli Contract Through 2030<\/h2>\n
Scott McTominay Faces Heart Procedure And Contract Questions<\/h2>\n
Napoli\u2019s Summer Picture Comes Into Focus<\/h2>\n