Scott McTominay Responds to Man Utd Transfer Links With Clear Idea for His Future

Scott McTominay has emphatically rebuffed speculation surrounding his potential return to Manchester United and instead opened himself up to the possibility of staying at Napoli for “a long time.”

McTominay showed flickers of attacking promise towards the end of his Manchester United career once Erik ten Hag identified his nose for goal. The club’s academy graduate scored 10 times during his final campaign at Old Trafford and started upfront in the triumphant 2024 FA Cup final.

Those instincts have been honed by Antonio Conte at Napoli, where he has transformed into one of Europe’s premier attacking midfielders. Crowned Serie A’s Player of the Year after a debut campaign which ended with the top-flight title, McTominay has once again cracked double digits this season, despite operating in a deeper role and playing almost the entire campaign while partially injured.

This remarkable level of performance, at a time when Manchester United have collectively struggled, has inspired talk of a homecoming for Lancaster lad. That is seemingly not on the cards, however.

“My agent has not communicated with anyone regarding my future,” McTominay told Corriere dello Sport this week. “He only speaks with me and with the club. He hasn’t said anything to the newspapers. I am extremely happy here and, as far as I am concerned, I am a Napoli player; it is all I think about.

“The future is very important, and I could see myself in Napoli for a long time.”

Man Utd Would Be Right to Avoid McTominay Temptation

Michael Carrick (left) and Scott McTominay. — Michael Carrick (left) and Scott McTominay overlapped at Man Utd. | John Peters/Manchester United/Getty Images

As McTominay may no doubt have discovered, there is a saying in Italy which goes: La minestra riscaldata non è mai buona. Reheated soup is never good. Don’t go back to an ex.

The sentiment holds at a fundamental level and rings true in the specific context of Manchester United and McTominay—despite the obvious temptation.

Napoli’s proliferation of injuries has forced the buccaneering Scot into a more measured role this term. He is still at his best when crashing into the penalty area but Conte has taken great satisfaction from his “transformation” of McTominay into a “complete” midfielder.

“In this year and a half, [McTominay] became a complete player,” Napoli’s coach boasted earlier this year. “When I was in England and faced him as an opponent, I always saw his quality, but always one part of his quality—especially to attack the box and score.

Rasmus Hojlund: "I spoke a bit with the big Scott [McTominay].

We’re not on the same path in our careers, I still have a lot to learn. Whereas, he’s a bit older and probably had a bit more on his back to go out there and prove himself.

Which obviously I want to and that’s also… pic.twitter.com/Fx4K6sjnOr
— Sports Illustrated FC (@SI_FootballClub) January 12, 2026

“Instead, we worked with him on the buildup and construction, and I tried [with] difficulty also to transform him into a complete player. He now plays with [Stanislav] Lobotka as two midfielders, and he has improved a lot in the buildup. At the same time, he has never lost the possibility to attack, to be a box-to-box player. Now he is, in my opinion, a really, really top player for an important club.”

McTominay is also 29 and has a contract until the summer of 2028. Unlike many other European sides, Napoli have repeatedly proven that they will not bow to the might of the Premier League’s money. If United were to lure their former No. 39 back to Manchester, it would not be cheap.

The Red Devils are reportedly prepared to go “very big” on midfield reinforcements this summer, yet those funds would surely be better used on someone aside from McTominay. United need to replace Casemiro and so are in the hunt for a player more naturally suited to defensive tasks and preferably one who doesn’t turn 30 this year.

Elliot Anderson, Carlos Baleba and Adam Wharton are the established trio of targets while Newcastle United’s Sandro Tonali has emerged as an increasingly intriguing alternative. Turning back to a former midfielder in the dugout may have temporarily steadied the ship at Old Trafford, but that doesn’t mean it is always the best approach.

Man Utd Would Be Right to Avoid McTominay Temptation

READ THE LATEST MAN UTD NEWS, TRANSFER RUMORS AND MORE