When Emile Smith Rowe’s move to Craven Cottage is signed and sealed, Fulham are expected to revive their interest in one Manchester United ace.
Indeed, the West London outfit are hot in pursuit of Scott McTominay after failing with their opening £17 million bid earlier in the window.
They have since been fully focused on sanctioning Smith Rowe’s arrival, who is poised to become the club’s record signing for an initial £27m plus £7m in further add-ons in a deal which was agreed with Arsenal this evening.
Sky Sports’ Dharmesh Sheth has provided a further update tonight, claiming that McTominay’s mooted sale could ‘dictate’ whether United pursue a midfield acquisition. Fans will be well aware that links have been strong between the Reds and Paris Saint-Germain’s Manuel Ugarte, but INEOS chiefs are yet to accelerate their interest by tabling a bid.
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Ten Hag adopts firm transfer stance regarding McTominay’s availability
McTominay, 27, was one of Erik ten Hag’s most trusted lieutenants last term, scoring a career-best 10 goals in all competitions while playing an integral role, whether that be as a starter or an off-the-bench option.
Yet, it remains to be seen if he’ll be able to nail down a permanent place in the 11 after the summer. Kobbie Mainoo will be one of the first names on the teamsheet while the likes of Casemiro, Mason Mount and Christian Eriksen will all be vying for minutes.
Ten Hag publicly proclaimed his desire to keep the Scotsman at his disposal following a pre-season friendly win over Rangers, saying: “If you score 10 goals in a season and perform very well for Scotland, there will be an interest.
“We want to actually keep him [McTominay] because he’s a very important player for our squad. We’ve seen what he can contribute last season. When we had the sixes and he could play in a more advanced role. He’s a highly interesting player for our team.”
