Hojlund finding his feet could be X factor in Napoli’s Serie A bid

Rasmus Hojlund’s December has changed the temperature of Napoli’s season. Five goals in the final month of the calendar year have not just revived a striker who looked weighed down by expectation; they have nudged Napoli right back into the thick of a title race that remains breathlessly tight.

Inter may lead the way as 2025 draws to a close, but the margins are thin, the form volatile and Napoli suddenly look like a side with a cutting edge again.

Hojlund’s summer move from Manchester United was met with raised eyebrows in both England and Italy. Napoli were buying potential rather than certainty, a striker still learning the rhythms of elite football, and asking him to shoulder the burden of goals after Romelu Lukaku was ruled out before a ball had even been kicked with a persistent thigh injury.

There would be no safety net, no easing-in period. From the outset, Hojlund was Napoli’s reference point in attack, the player through whom everything funnelled.

The early returns were uneven. His physical presence, willingness to run channels and press from the front were appreciated, but goals were conspicuously absent.

An eight-game scoreless streak stretching from late October into early December began to define the narrative around him, raising familiar doubts about composure, movement in the box and whether Napoli had gambled too heavily on promise. In a league where strikers are judged ruthlessly, patience was wearing thin.

Then December arrived and with it a shift that felt both sudden and overdue. Hojlund began attacking the six-yard box with conviction, timing his runs rather than reacting late, trusting his instincts instead of snatching at chances.

Five Serie A goals in a month have transformed his numbers – six for the season overall – but more importantly, they have transformed Napoli’s attack. Moves now end with a shot, crosses are delivered with purpose and defenders are forced to drop a yard deeper.

The knock-on effect has been significant. Napoli have stayed within touching distance of Inter at the top and remain locked in a three-way scrap with AC Milan that could swing on a single decisive run. In a campaign where no side has managed sustained dominance, form players matter more than systems, and Hojlund is suddenly one of Serie A’s most influential forwards.

 

There is still rawness to his game. He will miss chances, drift out of matches and frustrate at times. But with Lukaku still sidelined and no obvious alternative to lead the line, Napoli’s title defence may hinge on whether this December version of Hojlund is a mirage or a breakthrough.

If it is the latter, Inter’s grip on first place may be far less secure than it currently appears.

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