Manchester United have today bid farewell to one of their most longstanding servants at the club, Scott McTominay.
Indeed, the Carrington graduate has joined Napoli on a permanent transfer from the Red Devils, in turn ending his 22-year association with the club.
The Red who lived his dream ❤️
Your United family wishes you nothing but success in this new chapter, @McTominay10 🔴#MUFC
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) August 30, 2024
McTominay, 27, joined United aged five in 2002. He worked his way through the youth ranks straight to the senior setup to eventually become an integral cog under each manager he played for.
He leaves having tallied a notable 255 appearances in red, scoring 29 goals and contributing eight assists. He was part of Erik ten Hag’s Carabao Cup and FA Cup-winning squads in 2022/2023 and 2023/2024 respectively.
The manager made it clear in his press conference on Friday that from his point of view, selling McTominay was something of a last resort, but conceded that the funds raised from offloading a homegrown player do aid the club’s compliance with financial regulations.
“It’s a little bit mixed,” he began. “I’m very happy for him and it’s also for us, but it’s mixed, because I wouldn’t prefer to lose him, because he is Man United in every vein. He was so important for our team, for Manchester United. He was here for over 22 years. Unfortunately, it’s the rules. We have to discuss the rules when you have to do sells and then, obviously, homegrown players, Academy players, they bring more value. That’s not the right thing to do, but yeah, I think for everyone, for all parts, it’s a good deal. For Scott, he’s happy with it. Of course, for Napoli, a very good player. But also for us.”
I follow every football team but some a little bit more than others. I was never a Maradona fan with Napoli but will follow Scott very closely with Napoli. I’ll miss your passion and effort for MU but know you’ll give the same to your new team. All the best Scott.