Manchester United have been told they undersold Scott McTominay in the summer – by the son of none other than Napoli and overall footballing legend Diego Maradona.
McTominay had spent his entire career with Man Utd up to this summer, when they decided to cash in on their academy product after his 255 senior appearances for the club. His destination was Napoli, taking him abroad for the first time.
So far, McTominay has thrived under Antonio Conte. He has contributed to a goal in each of his three most recent appearances, including the opener in Napoli’s win over Como on Friday.
Given their own misfortune since, there have been plenty of critics of Man Utd’s decision to get rid of McTominay, and Diego Maradona Junior has now joined that chorus.
“McTominay? I don’t understand how Manchester United managed to sell him for €30m,” he told Radio Goal in Naples.
“They got rid of a very strong player, but luckily, he came to us. He could start a cycle; I see him as the new Hamsik.”
While there is no Napoli legend bigger than the late Maradona Senior, after whom the club’s stadium is named, Marek Hamsik was himself an icon for the Serie A side thanks to his service between 2007 and 2019, starring as an all-action midfielder.
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Man Utd’s midfield evolution
The sale of McTominay paved the way for Man Utd to buy Manuel Ugarte from Paris Saint-Germain, but the Uruguayan holding midfielder has struggled to convince so far.
The likes of Casemiro, Mason Mount and Christian Eriksen are all still under scrutiny too, none facing certain futures at Old Trafford.
It is not unreasonable to suggest that keeping McTominay would have been a wiser decision, at least from a technical standpoint. After all, last season he scored a career-best 10 goals.
Who could Man Utd sign?
As long as their current struggles continue, Man Utd will be linked with various players who could come in and have a better impact – just like McTominay has been doing at Napoli.
Midfielders to have recently been linked with Man Utd include Leicester City’s Harry Winks, Inter Milan’s Nicolo Barella and Atalanta’s Ederson, although it would be a jump to class any of them as targets they are making concrete moves towards yet.
Elsewhere, Man Utd have been linked with a surprise move for Aston Villa defender Pau Torres by reports in his native Spain, where rumours are also springing up that they are in the mix for Chilean winger Dario Osorio.
McTominay’s stats for Napoli so far
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