Manchester United midfielder Scott McTominay has told the manager of a major European club he is looking to join them this summer.
McTominay was not always a starter for Man Utd last season, but he did pop up with several important goals for Erik ten Hag. The Scotland international finished the campaign with 10 goals and three assists from 43 appearances in all competitions.
McTominay has come off the bench in both of Man Utd’s matches so far this season, the Community Shield defeat to Manchester City and the opening Premier League win against Fulham on Friday night.
Ten Hag is known to be a fan of McTominay, but rumours about the player departing Old Trafford persist.
The 27-year-old has previously been linked with West Ham United and Newcastle United, while he is currently on the radars of fellow Premier League clubs Everton and Fulham.
But it emerged this week that Napoli are spying a shock move to take McTominay to Italy. Napoli sporting director Giovanni Manna has even travelled to the UK to wrap up a deal for Brighton’s Billy Gilmour, with McTominay next up on his target list.
McTominay has attempted to take his future into his own hands by telling Napoli boss Antonio Conte that he is aiming to make the move a reality this summer.
McTominay’s stance will likely add more fuel to the fire as Napoli attempt to forge an agreement with Man Utd.
Man Utd transfer news: Scott McTominay eyes Napoli switch
However, the Serie A giants can only step up their pursuit of the Lancaster-born ace once they sell star striker Victor Osimhen in a big-money deal.
Napoli need to bring in funds from Osimhen’s departure before they can match Man Utd’s demands for McTominay, which have been set at €30million (£25.5m).
Due to this, McTominay must wait for Osimhen’s future to be resolved before he can start to properly plan for the 2024-25 campaign.
Chelsea could therefore play a big role in McTominay’s Man Utd exit. Todd Boehly’s side are rivalling Paris Saint-Germain for Osimhen, who has decided he wants to take the next step in his career by leaving Napoli for a top club.
There has been talk of Romelu Lukaku being included in a player-plus-cash deal which would see Osimhen arrive at Stamford Bridge. But on Friday it emerged that Chelsea and Napoli see them as two separate deals.
As such, Chelsea could sell Lukaku to Napoli for around £37m – as Conte is eager to reunite with the Belgian striker – and be given first refusal to snare Osimhen in return.
