Former Manchester United midfielder Scott McTominay is making waves in Italy after his departure from Old Trafford which was against the wishes of ex-manager Erik ten Hag.
The Reds saw a financial advantage in selling McTominay this summer, as his £25.4million transfer fee was viewed as ‘pure profit’ by financial regulators, aiding the club in balancing their books following a costly summer.
Ten Hag’s reluctance to sell the Scotsman, despite poor results and lack of progress after significant spending, led to his dismissal and the appointment of Sporting boss Ruben Amorim. However, McTominay’s impressive performances in Serie A under former Chelsea and Tottenham manager Antonio Conte, earning him the nickname ‘McTotally’, suggest that Ten Hag may have been correct in his reluctance to let him go.
Prior to his success in Italy, Ten Hag had expressed his disappointment at McTominay’s sale, stating: “I’m very happy for Scott. As I said, when he left, I didn’t want this but that’s the rules the club had to deal with. The rules are, I would even say, bad, but that’s the situation created. It forced us to make this decision.”
Two months on, ‘McTotally’ has not only scored a goal and set up two others but has also become the pulsating core of a team that now sits four points clear at the top of Serie A, ahead of reigning champions Inter. In Italy, he’s regarded as a versatile powerhouse, and his talents were showcased in the team’s recent match against AC Milan, according to the Daily Record.
With Stanislav Lobotka out injured, former Brighton and Chelsea midfielder Billy Gilmour was once again McTominay’s partner in the centre for the crucial game, and they did not disappoint. The Scottish pair, along with former Fulham player Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa, put on a strong performance at San Siro, helping Conte’s squad maintain their 2-0 lead from the first half until the final whistle.
While United’s management might rue ignoring their recently departed manager’s advice, McTominay harbours no such regrets. “The pride of playing here is really special and when I found out that Napoli was interested in me I felt the fire inside me,” he said after joining the Naples club.
“I wanted to come here and push as much as possible because the fans are crazy, I would say they are some of the best fans I have ever seen. Incredible. I can’t talk enough about the fans, the people, the city and the welcome that my teammates and coaches gave me.
“My dream is to win the Scudetto with Napoli, to win trophies and be successful. I just want to do my best to help the team, fight for the future and push my career to the max.”