Ex-Manchester United manager reveals how star was forced out amid Old Trafford return rumours

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The Scotsman went on to lift the Serie A title with Napoli, and win the Italian top-flight’s ‘Player of the Season’ award, as the league’s MVP.

For Manchester United, he bagged 37 goal contributions in 255 games; now, in light of ten Hag’s words and according to reports, INEOS want the Scot back.

McTominay was sold in the summer of 2024 for a total of just over £25 million, including add-ons, with Manuel Ugarte being signed in his place.

Ten Hag has now claimed that the club broke their promise with the Scotsman, selling him to Napoli against his wishes and ousting him from Manchester.

In an interview with The Athletic, the former Red Devils coach said: “ “That’s why I got disappointed. In Ibiza, we agreed. I said, ‘No selling Scott McTominay.’ We would go aligned in the transfer window. I [made] an argument, a reason – we don’t have scoring abilities.

“Scott brings scoring abilities and a great mentality. He has [Manchester] United in all his veins. So, when they bring up the subject: ‘No’. And in the end they sold him.

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“I got, of course, very embarrassed and disappointed,” admitted Ten Hag, who left the club in October 2024, just months after McTominay’s exit.

The Scot has thrived in Italy, bagging 37 goal contributions, the same figure he recorded for Manchester United, in 85 games, not the 255 matches it took him as a Red Devil.

In early October, Sky Sports Switzerland journalist Sacha Tavolieri claimed, as relayed by TEAMtalk, that Manchester United co-owners, INEOS, want to transfer McTominay back to Old Trafford.

“The player’s agent, according to our sources, maintains close relationships with several Premier League clubs and has already held preliminary discussions regarding McTominay’s future,” stated Tavolieri’s report.

It claimed that Aston Villa also approached the Scot in April, adding that the midfielder is “nostalgic… and open to the idea of ​​returning to the Premier League.”

Manchester United, placed 13th, are in dire form, with Michael Carrick’s job in serious peril. The Red Devils return to Champions League action against Como on Wednesday, as they travel to Italy.

Kedar Bayley Freelance Writer Kedar Bayley is a trained journalist specialising in culture reporting. As a fan of Liverpool FC, he writes on the Reds often. Knowledgable about all things sports, cinema and television, you can find his words in Screen International, FourFourTwo, Manchester Evening News and more.

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