
‘One of the biggest mistakes in football' – Ex-Man Utd coach slams club for transfer decision ‘everyone at club regrets'
Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
MANCHESTER UNITED made one of the "biggest mistakes in football" by selling Scott McTominay, a former Red Devils coach has claimed.
The Scotland international's near-life-long love affair with the Old Trafford club came to an end last August when he joined Napoli for a fee of £27.5million.
Sign up for Scottish Sun
newsletter
Sign up
4
Scott McTominay left Manchester United last summer for Napoli
Credit: GETTY
4
The Scotland international flourished with the Serie A side and helped them win their first Scudetto
Credit: REUTERS
4
Former Red Devils coach Benni McCarthy reckons United made a mistake letting McTominay leave
Credit: GETTY
The midfielder's departure, which was in part to help balance the books, wasn't lamented in the slightest as he wasn't a guaranteed name in the starting XI.
McTominay, however, has flourished since leaving the Theatre of Dreams and helped guide Napoli to last season's Serie A title.
He scored 12 goals in 34 league appearances for the Neopolitans and was named Serie's Most Valuable Player of the season.
Many connected with United have since cursed McTominay's departure, including former coach Benni McCarthy.
READ MORE SPORTS NEWS
TOTTENHOME Tottenham announce major change to stadium as iconic landmark returns
The South African told betonlinepromocodes.com: "Of course, there are different reasons why you sell homegrown players sometimes.
"When they go, the profit lets you sign more players.
"Having said that, it was one of the biggest mistakes in football to let him leave. He was born to play for United.
"Maybe he wasn't the most technical, but he had fight, and I think it's what they will get back with Matheus Cunha.
JOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUS
4
"Scotty was a player that you look for in a dressing room to get you where you want to be.
"To let him go for what was a small transfer fee was a big shame. I think everyone at the club regrets that decision."
Scott McTominay dances with old fan while puffing on cigarette as never-ending Napoli title party continues
McTominay's impressive debut season at the Diego Armando Maradona stadium has seen him immortalised by Napoli fans.
An incredible shrine to the midfielder has been painted on the graffiti-filled San Nicola a Nilo street in the heart of Naples' Decumani district.
McTominay wrote his name into Napoli's history books in May by helping them clinch their fourth Scudetto with a stunning bicycle kick in their 2-0 win over Cagliari, which saw them pip Inter Milan to the title by a solitary point.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Scottish Sun
2 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Man Utd in talks with Aston Villa and Chelsea over Ollie Watkins and Christopher Nkunku to fix striker transfer dilemma
The Red Devils could find themselves embroiled in a transfer battle with their domestic rivals STRIKING A DEAL Man Utd in talks with Aston Villa and Chelsea over Ollie Watkins and Christopher Nkunku to fix striker transfer dilemma MANCHESTER UNITED have reportedly opened talks with Aston Villa and Chelsea over potential moves for Ollie Watkins and Christopher Nkunku. The Red Devils are in the market for attacking reinforcements this summer following a woeful 2024/25 Premier League season. 5 Ruben Amorim is eyeing attacking reinforcements for his Manchester United squad Credit: GETTY 5 United have reportedly opened talks with Aston Villa over a move for Ollie Watkins Credit: PA 5 United are also said to have held talks with Chelsea over a move for Christopher Nkunku Credit: GETTY It recently emerged that the Old Trafford club had earmarked England and France internationals Watkins and Nkunku as potential targets. And according to reports, they have reached out to Villa and Chelsea over the duo's availability. That's according to The Athletic, who claim United have made a "check call" to Villa about a potential transfer for Watkins. But there has been no "movement" on a potential move to Old Trafford for the former Exeter City man. READ MORE ON MAN UTD GREEN STREET Mason Greenwood reunites with two ex-Man Utd team-mates in Manchester The Athletic also claim a move to the Theatre of Dreams for Nkunku has come up in their discussions with Chelsea, who are seemingly willing to let the France international leave Stamford Bridge. A potential move to west London for wantaway winger Alejandro Garnacho has also been the topic of the club's recent discussions with the Blues. Watkins has been Villa's star man for the last two seasons, the most recent of which he bagged 17 goals and racked up 14 assists. United could face a domestic battle with Arsenal to land the 29-year-old. JOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUS 5 5 The Gunners made a last-gasp bid to sign Watkins in the winter transfer window but had their offer rejected by the Villans. The north Londoners are reportedly contemplating revisiting a move for Watkins if their pursuit of Sporting Lisbon hitman Viktor Gyokeres fails to bear fruit. Man Utd vs Man City fan battle - 'Cristiano Ronaldo is worse than De Bruyne' | Stoppage Time A move for Nkunku will likely be easier for United to facilitate given Chelsea's need to sell players to balance the books this summer. The 27-year-old is seemingly surplus to requirements following the Blues' £30million acquisition of Liam Delap from Ipswich. That's despite him bagging 15 goals in all competitions for last season's Conference League winners.


Daily Mirror
3 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Mbeumo deadline, Watkins offer, six exits planned - Man Utd transfer latest
Manchester United are arguably in the middle of the most important transfer windows in their history as they continue to chase Bryan Mbeumo and Ollie Watkins, while Marcus Rashford comes to a decision about his future Manchester United have a little under two months left of the transfer window - and the Red Devils really need to get down to work. They have already sealed the signing of Matheus Cunha from Wolves for £62.5m. But the spending is unlikely to stop there. United are in dire need of a new forward to potentially solve their goalscoring issues and appear to have identified their man. A new midfielder, left-back and winger could all be set to arrive before the window closes on September 1. But before that, exits might have to be the first port of call as United attempt to gather funds after missing out on a spot in Europe for next season. And there are already a few candidates to leave Old Trafford, with some potentially worth millions. Where does the land lie right now though? Mirror Football takes a run through the current irons in the United fire to find out which deals could potentially be ticked off. Bryan Mbeumo deadline It's fair to say that the Brentford forward is right at the top of United's shortlist of signings. They've already had two bids turned down for the Cameroonian and while it appears that the Bees are open to selling, they will only let him go for a price they deem suitable. As it stands, United chiefs remain confident of reaching an agreement before the end of the week. They might want to move a bit quicker to get everything rubber-stamped but all the signs are pointing to this one getting done. Ollie Watkins talks held From Brentford to Aston Villa now, United are interested in adding an out-and-out striker to their squad. Having been linked with a host of options, it appears that Villa star Watkins is now the outstanding candidate. United reportedly held talks with Villa regarding a deal in January only for nothing to come of their initial discussions. But they are now making a concerted effort to sign the England man despite Villa's £60m asking price. Gyokeres saga turns bitter One reason that United have turned their attention to Watkins is the ongoing furore surrounding Viktor Gyokeres. The Sporting Lisbon striker was thought to be at the top of United's list, only for him to prioritise a move to Arsenal. Even then, a deal has proven to be difficult, with Gyokeres accusing Sporting of upping their demands, threatening strike action and even turning down clear-the-air talks. It's all gotten a bit messy but it appears that the Gunners are inching closer to an agreement, putting United out of the race in the process. Diego Leon set to sign One deal that is a lot easier to do is a move for young defender Diego Leon. He is set to fly to the UK this week to undergo pre-season testing. Leon has already suggested that he is ready to fight for his place at Old Trafford. He said:"I'm really happy, I think every player dreams of this. When you're a professional, you have to adapt quickly, it is a massive opportunity. "Everyone thinks I'll go out on loan, but I don't have that mindset. I'm going to kill it in pre-season and within one or two games, I'll already be playing with them." Fabian Ruiz 'interest' Over recent days, United's interest in Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Fabian Ruiz emerged but a deal looks somewhat tricky to do. The Spaniard has two years left on his contract in the French capital, while manager Luis Enrique apparently wants to keep him around. Ruiz would be a quality addition to their midfield options but this one just appears to be speculation for now. Rashford to Barcelona While Enrique wants to keep hold of Ruiz, the same could certainly not be said of Ruben Amorim and Marcus Rashford. The forward was exiled to Aston Villa last term, the Midlands side recently confirming that they will not be activating their option to sign him. Rashford has already made his preference clear having ruled out a move to London, while he also does not want to reduce his £300k-per-week pay packet. He has also expressed interest in a move to Barcelona, who are interested in a move despite their imminent capture of Nico Williams. It looks like this one could rumble on for some time. With Rashford primed for an exit, he could be joined by Alejandro Garnacho, who has also fallen out with Amorim. Serie A champions Napoli were reportedly interested but that has not progressed. A potential swap deal with Chelsea involving Christopher Nkunku was touted but that looks slightly unlikely right now. The Blues could still move for him but again, that might be another one that gets more clarification later in the window. Sancho running out of options Sticking with Chelsea, they have already dealt a considerable blow to United's transfer window this summer. The Blues had a £25m obligation to buy former loanee Sancho but paid a £5m penalty clause to back out of that agreement. He is now set to return to Old Trafford. Juventus have recently emerged as potential suitors in a sensational swap deal, while Napoli and Fenerbahce have also been linked in the past. It's clear that Sancho won't be a United player next season, it just depends on where. Hojlund faces uncertain future Fellow forward Rasmus Hojlund could also depart over the coming months. The Danish forward endured a woeful second season at Old Trafford, with it being suggested that United were happy to cut their losses. Inter Milan looked to be the most likely to move for him but they have since cooled their interest in the former Atalanta man. It was reported that United would only move for Watkins should Hojlund leave so his future could potentially be key to how the rest of the window plays out at Old Trafford. All quiet on Antony Brazilian winger Antony has been a disastrous signing at Old Trafford and he looks sure to leave. All the suggestions are that Real Betis will make a renewed move for the former Ajax man following his successful loan move last season. But the Spanish side would struggle to match United's current demands. Reports in Spain suggest that an agreement over a move is still some way off despite Antony making his desire to return to Seville abundantly clear. United 'open' to Onana loan Amorim has a decision to make over United's number one position. Andre Onana has struggled to convince during his time at Old Trafford and according to reports, United would be open to letting him leave on loan. Ligue 1 side Monaco emerged as suitors for his services but have since cooled their interest. The Red Devils have picked out a few potential replacements but Onana will need to leave before anything progresses. Join our new MAN UTD WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Manchester United content from Mirror Football. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.


Scottish Sun
4 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
‘One of the biggest mistakes in football' – Ex-Man Utd coach slams club for transfer decision ‘everyone at club regrets'
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) MANCHESTER UNITED made one of the "biggest mistakes in football" by selling Scott McTominay, a former Red Devils coach has claimed. The Scotland international's near-life-long love affair with the Old Trafford club came to an end last August when he joined Napoli for a fee of £27.5million. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 4 Scott McTominay left Manchester United last summer for Napoli Credit: GETTY 4 The Scotland international flourished with the Serie A side and helped them win their first Scudetto Credit: REUTERS 4 Former Red Devils coach Benni McCarthy reckons United made a mistake letting McTominay leave Credit: GETTY The midfielder's departure, which was in part to help balance the books, wasn't lamented in the slightest as he wasn't a guaranteed name in the starting XI. McTominay, however, has flourished since leaving the Theatre of Dreams and helped guide Napoli to last season's Serie A title. He scored 12 goals in 34 league appearances for the Neopolitans and was named Serie's Most Valuable Player of the season. Many connected with United have since cursed McTominay's departure, including former coach Benni McCarthy. READ MORE SPORTS NEWS TOTTENHOME Tottenham announce major change to stadium as iconic landmark returns The South African told "Of course, there are different reasons why you sell homegrown players sometimes. "When they go, the profit lets you sign more players. "Having said that, it was one of the biggest mistakes in football to let him leave. He was born to play for United. "Maybe he wasn't the most technical, but he had fight, and I think it's what they will get back with Matheus Cunha. JOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUS 4 "Scotty was a player that you look for in a dressing room to get you where you want to be. "To let him go for what was a small transfer fee was a big shame. I think everyone at the club regrets that decision." Scott McTominay dances with old fan while puffing on cigarette as never-ending Napoli title party continues McTominay's impressive debut season at the Diego Armando Maradona stadium has seen him immortalised by Napoli fans. An incredible shrine to the midfielder has been painted on the graffiti-filled San Nicola a Nilo street in the heart of Naples' Decumani district. McTominay wrote his name into Napoli's history books in May by helping them clinch their fourth Scudetto with a stunning bicycle kick in their 2-0 win over Cagliari, which saw them pip Inter Milan to the title by a solitary point.