Italian news website "Tuttomercato" claims that Manchester United are interested in bringing Scott McTominay back from Napoli. For any fans who have ever believed this rumor, Sir Alex Ferguson would warn: "Even if the Italians say it's pasta, I still have to check what's in the sauce!"
Italian media reports that Manchester United are eager to reunite with McTominay and have the upper hand in the summer transfer race. While McTominay is happy at Napoli, he also hopes to return to the Premier League to prove his doubters wrong. The report also cites Leonardo Giamarioli, Napoli's global business development officer, who admitted earlier this month that he was worried about the club losing McTominay.
Jamarioli suggests that McTominay might leave the team if a high offer comes in this summer. He compared this to Stuttgart's sale of Nick Waltmard in the Bundesliga, who joined Newcastle United in the Premier League.
"Of course I'm worried, but ultimately, especially with Scott (McTominay), he's a very good guy, and we'd be happy if we could see him take things to the next level in a few years. Maybe not now, maybe not next year, but he deserves this opportunity," Jamario said. "Look at Stuttgart, they wanted to keep Walter Madd, but when Newcastle offered £65 million, if the player wanted to leave and the money was so tempting, the club couldn't do anything about it. It's also hard for Italian clubs to refuse, because Serie A revenue continues to decline."
This isn't the first time McTominay has been linked with transfer rumors. Late last year, British media reported that Manchester United, Arsenal, and Tottenham Hotspur were interested in him. Premier League transfer expert Fraser Fletcher said McTominay is eager to return to England, but only if a "suitable project" comes along.
A return to Manchester United would not be a good fit for either side. While McTominay might have been a suitable midfielder in a 3-4-3 formation under Ruben Amorim, he would have no place in a 4-2-3-1 formation unless the team offloads Bruno Fernandes.
Manchester United don't need another number 10 or number 8 player, especially since Napoli might demand €80 million to sell McTominay. The Red Devils don't have a buy-back clause for McTominay; however, when the club sold him for €30 million, there was a 10% resale clause.
Besides the transfer rumors, another claim is that McIlroy intends to extend his contract with Napoli until 2031, reportedly as a tactic by his agent to secure better terms. From Manchester United's perspective, they would prefer McIlroy to transfer rather than stay.
Therefore, Manchester United doesn't mind being linked with McTominay, as it would be beneficial if it helped him join another team for a higher transfer fee. A similar situation exists with Marseille striker Mason Greenwood. The club can't bring Greenwood back, but if he transfers, it would bring in 50% of the transfer fee, so Manchester United is happy to "drive up the price."
Marseille, the Ligue 1 club where Greenwood played, has been in turmoil since its Champions League exit. Manager De Zerbi was sacked, the club president resigned, and sporting director and legend Benatia, rumored to have clashed with Greenwood, also left. L'Équipe reports that Benatia and Greenwood have long since fallen out of touch, with the former criticizing Greenwood's performance both on and off the pitch. Italian transfer expert Fabrizio Romano revealed that Manchester United are closely monitoring the situation at Marseille, not to buy Greenwood back, but to see if he might be transferred as a result.
Manchester United are looking to generate more revenue this summer through player sales to rebuild their squad. Loan-out players like Rashford and Hoylund are assets that Sir Jim Ratcliffe could potentially use to make money.
McTominay's Napoli teammate, Højlund, has a €44 million buy-out clause, which becomes mandatory if the team qualifies for the Champions League. Barcelona, on the other hand, has a €30 million option to buy Rashford, but they are free to choose whether or not to make the purchase, and there are no penalty clauses for not doing so.
Barcelona sporting director Deco confirmed last week: "Rashford is simply on loan, we have an option. Are we planning to keep him long-term? Of course, I think it wasn't easy for him to get here. He faced immense pressure at Manchester United but maintained a high level. Then he spent six months on loan at Aston Villa and performed exceptionally well. In fact, Villa wanted to keep him, I know that, I spoke with them, but Rashford only wanted to join Barcelona, which is a very good attitude."
Deco praised Rashford's decision to take a significant pay cut to join Barcelona: "We successfully negotiated a loan agreement, and his willingness to take a pay cut to make this transfer possible fully demonstrates his strong desire to join, which we are very happy about. He is a player who can make a huge contribution to the team. Who to bring in this summer? We don't need to be fixated on who to buy because the team is currently performing well; we have Ferran Torres and Rashford; we will consider how to make a decision. But Lewandowski is one of the best number 9s of the past 10 years, and currently no one possesses his level of ability, statistics, and performance. Barcelona needs to find a striker with technical ability, who can work well with his teammates, and who is good at solving problems."Return to Sohu to see more.
