After a Scudetto triumph and a Ballon d’Or nod in Italy, the Scottish midfielder’s meteoric rise has Old Trafford’s greatest goalscorer demanding a high-profile rescue mission.
Scott McTominay's story is an inspiring arc of good to great, as the Scotsman has quickly become a world favourite in football. The Manchester United Academy product was surprisingly sold in the summer of 2024 following an impressive eight seasons of first-team football at Old Trafford.
His move to Napoli saw a remarkable boost in his career as he guided the Italian giants to the 2024/25 Scudetto after previously finishing 10th in Serie A. Napoli fans sang McTominay's name as he cemented himself in their history for only £26m.
Many Manchester United fans have called the sale of McTominay a mistake after seeing his Napoli success earn him a Ballon d'Or nomination.
In particular, United icon Wayne Rooney has called for the club to make an attempt to bring McTominay back to Old Trafford as the midfield department urges for recruitment.
Rooney calls for Mctominay return following fine form
Speaking on The Wayne Rooney Show, the United all-time top goalscorer made his stance clear on McTominay's sale to Italy.
He stated: "I couldn’t believe Man United let him go when they did because he obviously works extremely hard.
"And at the time they let him go, he was actually one of the players who you wanted on the pitch every week because you felt like players weren’t working or weren’t giving the best, and he was impactful.
Rooney argues the case that an Old Trafford return would be a great move if McTominay were played to his strengths.
He continued: "He was playing in a more advanced role and he was scoring important goals. When Man United let him go, I was thinking, 'wow, what’s going on here?' But you’d love to have him back at Man United now."
Man Utd's midfield rebuild well underway
The first signing of the Michael Carrick era has been confirmed as Brazilian midfielder Ederson for a fee in the region of £35m. The midfielder will return from the World Cup as a Manchester United player, filling the boots of fellow countryman Casemiro.
Roundtable have reported United's push to sign Mateus Fernandes; therefore, if United did make a move to sign McTominay, sales would have to be made at Old Trafford to give more financial freedom.
The 29-year-old looks to be at his best in the light blue of Napoli and looks to push in the dark blue of Scotland as he guides his national side into the 2026 World Cup with a tough Haiti side waiting.
United's priority should certainly be finding the premium defensive midfield profile to help Carrick push for silverware across all four competitions, as Champions League qualification demands greater squad depth and fitness. This could come in the form of Elliot Anderson or Alex Scott, two Premier League-proven stars making a strong impression for top European clubs.
