Manchester United could have a decision to make over Scott McTominay as interest rises in his signature.
Scott McTominay is a player Erik ten Hag has high admiration for. The Manchester United manager has talked up his goal record, and ‘interesting’ profile. And after Fulham’s £20 million offer was rejected, Ten Hag underlined his view, lauding McTominay as ‘important’.
Yet speculation persists that McTominay could still be sold at the right price. Fabrizio Romano reports a £30 million deal could sway United, even if that overall fee includes some add-ons.
Financially, the sale would be lucrative due to McTominay being a homegrown player, helping Profit and Sustainability Rules.
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Manchester United moving forward
Manchester United want to improve after last season’s eighth place Premier League finish. The midfield is a key area which requires some tweaks, if not quite wholesale change.
Erik ten Hag wants his side to become a more possession based team. This is not something which fits in with McTominay’s skillset.
In the Premier League last season McTominay averaged just 20 passes per game, from 18 starts and 14 substitute appearances.
Even in his three starting games for Scotland at Euro 2024, he averaged only 17 passes per game.
Last season in United’s 2-1 win over relegated side Sheffield United, McTominay completed only eight passes and touched the ball 18 times before being hauled off after an hour.
He has been an enigma, because he did manage to score the opener in that game, but United have to look for more, than playing a midfielder who is essentially sub-standard in the overall picture of the match, in the hope he can grab a goal.
McTominay did strike a career best 10 goals last season, a positive, but the team needs something a little more, and a decision to sell him would demonstrate Erik ten Hag’s commitment to change which has seen the club already overhaul the coaching staff around him.
McTominay sale a major shift
Scott McTominay’s sale is not one Manchester United will take lightly. He has been part of the furniture at Old Trafford in recent seasons, playing under numerous managers.
McTominay was handed his debut by Jose Mourinho, and was an integral player under his successor Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
In total, McTominay has made 252 first team appearances for Manchester United. In the current squad, only Marcus Rashford, Luke Shaw and Victor Lindelof have made more.
His sale would represent a real desire from Ineos to make a change. Letting go of an academy graduate with more than quarter of a century of appearances is a big call, and the easy decision would be to let McTominay stay.
Cashing in, and using the money to reinvest, would be a bold call, and one which may divide fans – but it would show ambition, and that is what supporters want to see.
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