Every single Man United reject thriving elsewhere as Hojlund stuns with Napoli brace

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Manchester United’s struggles have been well-documented, as the side continue their slide away from being competitive at the very top.

Under Ruben Amorim, those difficulties have continued, with the Red Devils looking to put that right in the coming weeks and months.

Plenty have blamed the transfer policy at Manchester United, with extortionate fees being paid for players who don’t live up to the price tag.

On many occasions, however, it seems that an environmental change can transform their fortunes.

So, with that said, here’s a look at every Man United flop who is thriving elsewhere, following transfer exits.

Rasmus Hojlund

• Exit date: 2025
• Club: Napoli (on loan)
• Appearances: 5
• Goals: 3
• Assists: 0

Manchester United paid £72 million to sign Rasmus Hojlund as a promising young striker from Atalanta in 2023.

The Danish international came with plenty of promise and, to some degree, showed sparks of that in his first season at the club.

However, over 2024/25, the forward struggled as the Red Devils recorded a low 15th-placed finish in the Premier League.

With Man United signing Benjamin Sesko, there was little room for Hojlund to continue with the club in Amorim’s plans.

He was sent out on loan to Napoli, where he has shown signs of being back to his best.

A brace in Champions League action for the forward may well kickstart a promising campaign for him once again.

Scott McTominay

• Exit date: 2024
• Club: Napoli
• Appearances: 43
• Goals: 14
• Assists: 7

Another former Manchester United man at Napoli is Scott McTominay.

The 28-year-old would come under fire during his time at Old Trafford, with questions raised over his technical ability.

However, while in Serie A, the midfielder has proven everyone wrong.

McTominay managed to win the league in his first season, while he was also named the division’s player of the year.

Utilised as a box-crashing midfielder, the Scotland international has been nothing short of a revelation in Italy.

Antony

• Exit date: 2025
• Club: Real Betis
• Appearances: 30
• Goals: 10
• Assists: 6

Antony was one of the more expensive transfer failures that Manchester United had to deal with, as he struggled to adjust to the speed and physicality of the Premier League.

The Brazilian winger initially left on loan to Real Betis in January 2025, a move that was made permanent in the summer.

In that time, Antony has become a key player for the team, scoring ten goals for them across all competitions.

Marcus Rashford

• Exit date: 2025
• Club: Barcelona
• Appearances: 9
• Goals: 2
• Assists: 5

Marcus Rashford fell out of Ruben Amorim’s plans relatively early into his tenure, which forced through his move to Aston Villa on loan in January 2025.

After a short spell with the club, a return to Manchester United did not bring about a place back in the team.

Instead, Rashford was sent on loan to Barcelona, where he is competing with some of the best players in the world.

While he isn’t starting every game, the England international is building himself up again and has already contributed some important goals and assists.

Fred

• Exit date: 2023
• Club: Fenerbahce
• Appearances: 92
• Goals: 9
• Assists: 16

Fred’s time at Manchester United was mixed, as the midfielder offered plenty with his energetic nature, but often lacked the technical quality needed.

With some changes coming in 2023, he made an exit to join Fenerbahce in the Turkish Super Lig.

The midfielder has been a stalwart in the midfield, racking up nearly 100 appearances already, with a few goals and assists to his name.

Anthony Elanga

• Exit date: 2023
• Club: Nottingham Forest/Newcastle
• Appearances: 91
• Goals: 11
• Assists: 22

Having come through the Man United youth ranks, there was plenty of hope that Anthony Elanga could go on to become a regular for the team.

While he did make 55 appearances for the club, his move to Nottingham Forest in 2023 came at a time when he needed more games.

In a short space of time, the Swedish international made himself an important player, helping to fire Forest back into European competition.

Those performances were enough for Newcastle to drop a £55 million fee for him in 2025, though they are still awaiting his first goal.

Dean Henderson

• Exit date: 2023
• Club: Crystal Palace
• Appearances: 73
• Goals conceded: 90
• Clean sheets: 26

Goalkeeper Dean Henderson wasn’t able to become the number one at Manchester United, so he forged his own path with a move to Crystal Palace in 2023.

He has been a key player for the Eagles ever since, making over 70 appearances for the club and securing 26 clean sheets.

That includes top performances in Crystal Palace’s historic FA Cup win, as well as their triumph in the Community Shield.

Henderson continues to impress for the London club, and at 28 years old, his peak years are still ahead of him.

Andre Onana

• Exit date: 2025
• Club: Trabzonspor
• Appearances: 3
• Goals conceded: 5
• Clean sheets: 0

Andre Onana’s transfer to Manchester United was littered with plenty of high-profile errors, which certainly didn’t help him settle at the club.

The goalkeeper was signed by Erik ten Hag to help the team play out from the back.

However, when mistakes crept into his game, it put Man United under even more pressure.

With the arrival of Ruben Amorim, Onana slipped down the pecking order and eventually sealed a loan move to Trabzonspor in Turkey.

While he is yet to keep a clean sheet, the goalkeeper has put in some top performances to try and keep his new team in games.

Alvaro Carreras

• Exit date: 2024
• Club: Benfica/Real Madrid
• Appearances: 76
• Goals: 5
• Assists: 6

Young left-back Alvaro Carreras never made his debut for Manchester United’s senior team, only ever featuring in the youth setup.

That lack of faith saw him leave for Benfica on loan, which was made permanent in 2024.

In his time there, the youngster thrived and showed that he was capable of playing on some of the biggest stages.

That forced Real Madrid into action, who signed Carreras in 2025, and have since played him in plenty of league and cup action.

Ethan Galbraith

• Exit date: 2023
• Club: Leyton Orient/Swansea City
• Appearances: 107
• Goals: 12
• Assists: 11

Midfielder Ethan Galbraith was tipped for big things at Manchester United, but he only made one senior appearance before leaving on a free transfer in 2023.

He joined Leyton Orient and quickly established himself as a quality midfielder in the EFL, helping them climb up towards the top end of League One.

Then, in 2025, his move to the Championship came as he joined Swansea City.

Galbraith has impressed for Swansea early on, which included a top display in a cup upset over Nottingham Forest.

Angel Gomes

• Exit date: 2020
• Club: Lille/Boavista/Marseille
• Appearances: 172
• Goals: 17
• Assists: 25

Angel Gomes made ten Man United appearances before leaving in 2020 to join Lille, in search of more game time.

While his time there included a loan at Boavista, the midfielder quickly established himself as an important prospect in French football.

Now 25 years old, Gomes has since made the switch to Marseille, while he has also made his England senior team debut.