Underrated is perhaps the most fitting was to describe the man who left Manchester United on the final day of the summer transfer window.
Saying goodbye in a tear-jerking video before greeting his fanatical new employers amid a sea of sky blue enthusiasm, Scott McTominay is preparing to begin his new life at Napoli.
In full rebuild mode after a disastrous title defence in 2023/24 – going from first to tenth in just 12 months – the Scotland powerhouse was not the most high-profile player to join during the summer.
That honour probably goes to Romelu Lukaku. A Serie A champion under now-Napoli boss Antonio Conte at Inter Milan and a prolific goal-getter on Italian soil.
But if McTominay was often underrated and under-appreciated by the masses in England, one reporter is keen to ensure that the same does not happen for the Manchester United academy graduate at the Estadio Diego Armando Maradona.
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Manchester United sell Scott McTominay to Napoli
Carlo Verna believes that the window of 2024 – McTominay and Lukaku arriving alongside Brighton’s Billy Gilmour, Italy internationals Leonardo Spinazzola and Alessandro Buongiorno, Benfica winger David Neres and Real Madrid starlet Rafa Marin – is clearly the best of president Aurelio de Laurentiis’ two decades at the helm.
And while Lukaku may be the jewel in Napoli’s transfer crown, Verna feels that the £25 million spent on McTominay could prove to be a remarkable piece of business in hindsight.
“(Napoli) have made some very important purchases,” Verna explains during an interview with Radio Kiss Kiss in Italy. “Anyone who doesn’t follow the Premier League can’t imagine how strong McTominay is. He’s a stratospheric player.
“This is the most important transfer market Napoli has made in the De Laurentiis era. We’re looking at the immediate future and not just the future and the capital gains that will be mae.
“De Laurentiis made mistakes last year but, this year, he’s done everything right, starting with Conte’s arrival on the bench.”
McTominay was not everybody’s cup of tea.
The Carrington kid often faced criticism due to his supposed lack of technical qualities on the ball, especially when asked to play in a deeper midfield role. With Erik ten Hag keen to turn Man United into a dominant, possession-orientated side, McTominay always felt like a bit of an awkward fit.
But, scoring 13 goals for club and country last term, this old-school, late-into-the-penalty-area box-crasher can still be a highly effective footballer when used in a system which maximises his strengths and minimises his weaknesses.
He was, after all, one of the few regular goal-threats in Man United’s team across 2023/24.
Erik ten Hag disappointed to lose Carrington graduate
Ten Hag would ideally have liked to keep him, despite the eventual arrival of Manuel Ugarte on deadline day.
But due largely to the Premier League’s tricky Profit and Sustainability Rules, £25 million for an academy graduate with less than a year left on his contract was an offer too good to turn down from a financial standpoint.
“He was so important for our team. He was at Manchester United for over 22 years. But unfortunately, it’s the rules,” Ten Hag says, via Sky Info on YouTube.
“You have to discuss the rules to do sales, and obviously homegrown players, academy players, bring more value. It’s not the right thing to do but, for everyone, for all parties, it’s a good deal.
“For Scott, he is happy with it. Of course, for Napoli. (They are getting) a very good player. But also for us (it’s a good deal too).”
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