Napoli's New Era: Allegri Takes Charge Amid McTominay and Hojlund Changes

Scott McTominay and Rasmus Hojlund arrived in Naples as symbols of a new project under Antonio Conte. That project has already been ripped up.

Conte is out of the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona. Massimiliano Allegri, the serial winner who divides opinion like few others in Italy, is poised to walk through the door and take charge of a squad that includes two former Manchester United players at very different stages of their Serie A journeys.

Allegri in, backlash begins

Allegri has reportedly agreed a two-year deal to succeed Conte at Napoli, according to Sky Sports. The 58-year-old, dismissed by AC Milan after failing to secure Champions League qualification, will not be out of work for long.

His arrival, though, has landed with a thud rather than a fanfare.

Sections of the Gli Azzurri support have already launched an online campaign protesting against the appointment. The criticism is pointed: they argue Allegri’s profile, shaped by pragmatism and control, does not match the expansive, ambitious identity the club claims to be chasing.

This is, after all, a coach whose last Serie A title came in 2018 with Juventus. His CV is packed with domestic honours, but his recent Milan spell deteriorated badly enough that the club has undergone a sweeping rebuild since he left.

Napoli’s hierarchy want stability and know-how. A chunk of their fanbase see a step backwards.

Caught in the middle: McTominay and Hojlund.

McTominay’s rise, and fresh Premier League noise

McTominay has quietly become one of Serie A’s standout performers since swapping Old Trafford for southern Italy in 2024. In his first season at Napoli he helped drive the club to the Scudetto, instantly validating the gamble to move abroad.

That form has not gone unnoticed. Transfer speculation has already begun to swirl, with the Scotland international repeatedly linked with a return to the Premier League. Conte’s exit only adds fuel to that fire.

Under a new manager with a different blueprint, McTominay’s role could shift. Allegri has long trusted industrious, tactically disciplined midfielders, but the uncertainty around a new regime inevitably invites suitors to test Napoli’s resolve. If the club’s direction under Allegri does not convince him, the rumours of a move back to England will only grow louder.

For now, he remains central to a team that finished second last season, 11 points behind champions Inter Milan, and failed to retain their title. But the landscape around him is changing fast.

Hojlund’s future turns permanent

Hojlund’s situation is more straightforward on paper, if not in narrative. The Danish forward joined Napoli on loan last season, reuniting with his former United teammate in a bid to help defend the Scudetto. They fell short, yet his stay in Italy is set to be extended.

United inserted an obligation-to-buy clause in the deal, triggered by Napoli qualifying for the Champions League. That condition has been met, and Hojlund is now expected to complete a permanent £38 million move to the club in the coming weeks.

The paperwork has not yet been formally confirmed, but the outcome is clear: Conte’s departure should not derail the transfer. Napoli wanted a long-term striker; they are getting one.

What Hojlund walks into, though, will not be the project he initially signed up for. Instead of Conte’s intensity and touchline fire, he will report to Allegri, a coach who prizes structure, defensive balance and efficiency in the final third.

For a young forward still sharpening his game at the elite level, that could mean a more defined tactical role and fewer chaotic, end-to-end contests. It could also mean less margin for error.

A new Napoli, with familiar questions

Napoli’s decision to pivot from Conte to Allegri signals a club seeking stability after a turbulent title defence. Yet the reaction from supporters shows the fault lines immediately.

McTominay stands as one of the league’s success stories and a potential transfer domino if he decides this version of Napoli is not for him. Hojlund is on the brink of committing his prime years to a project already under reconstruction.

Allegri will inherit a squad that has tasted both glory and frustration in rapid succession. How he uses two ex-United players—one already proven in Italy, the other about to make his stay permanent—will say plenty about whether Napoli are building towards another title charge or simply trying to stop the slide.