Scott McTominay and Rasmus Hojlund face new Napoli challenge with Allegri
Scott McTominay and Rasmus Hojlund are bracing for a very different Napoli after Antonio Conte’s abrupt exit and the imminent arrival of Massimiliano Allegri.
Conte has gone. Allegri is coming. And with that, the project that tempted two former Manchester United players to southern Italy is about to change shape.
Allegri in, anger in the stands
Allegri, 58, is set to take over at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona on a two-year deal, according to Sky Sports, stepping straight back into elite management after being sacked by AC Milan for failing to secure Champions League qualification.
On paper, it is a heavyweight appointment: a serial Serie A winner, last crowned champion with Juventus in 2018, now handed the task of restoring Napoli’s edge.
On the streets and online, it is a very different story.
Sections of the Napoli fanbase have reacted furiously, launching an online campaign against the decision. They argue that Allegri’s pragmatic, often conservative approach does not match the club’s attacking identity or long-term vision, and point to his troubled recent spell at Milan, where things unravelled and prompted a sweeping reset after his departure.
Yet Napoli’s hierarchy have pushed ahead. Allegri is their man. And that matters enormously for two players who left Old Trafford seeking clarity and momentum in their careers.
McTominay’s rise and the new uncertainty
McTominay has been one of the revelations of Serie A since swapping Manchester for Naples in 2024. He walked into a demanding environment and helped deliver the league title in his first season, immediately establishing himself as a driving force in midfield.
That impact has not gone unnoticed. His form has already sparked talk of a Premier League return, with clubs monitoring a player who has added tactical discipline and goals to his game in Italy. Conte’s departure will only stir those rumours again.
Under Conte, McTominay had a clearly defined role and a manager who trusted his industry and timing from deep. Under Allegri, the blueprint may look different. The Scot has shown he can adapt, but a new coach with strong ideas inevitably brings questions about status, usage and future direction.
For a player in his prime, the decision to stay and anchor Allegri’s rebuild or listen more closely to interest from England suddenly feels far more complex.
Hojlund’s permanent leap
Hojlund’s situation carries its own twist.
The Danish forward joined Napoli on loan last season and, alongside McTominay, tried to help defend the Scudetto. They fell short. Inter Milan surged away to win the title, finishing 11 points clear, with Napoli settling for second place.
Even so, Hojlund’s move is poised to become permanent. United inserted an obligation-to-buy clause in the deal, triggered by Napoli’s qualification for the Champions League. That condition has been met, and the transfer is expected to be completed in the coming weeks for around £38 million.
The paperwork is not officially signed off yet, but Conte’s exit is not expected to derail the move. Napoli want him. United have committed to the structure. The path is set.
What changes is the context he walks into. Hojlund arrived on loan to work under Conte, a coach renowned for sculpting powerful, vertical teams and getting the best out of aggressive centre-forwards. Now he is likely to start his permanent Napoli career under Allegri, who tends to demand different movements, different patterns, different patience from his No. 9.
For a young striker still sharpening his game at the top level, that shift could define the next phase of his development.
A new Napoli, a new test
Napoli’s second-place finish, 11 points behind Inter, underlined both their quality and their shortcomings. They remain one of Italy’s strongest sides, but the margin to the top has grown, and the mood around the club is far more volatile than when McTominay first arrived.
Allegri steps into that tension with a bulging domestic CV but a fanbase already on edge. McTominay and Hojlund, once United’s future, now sit at the heart of a club wrestling with its own identity.
The manager is changing. The expectations are not.
