Scott McTominay: Man United’s top summer target addresses persistent Old Trafford links | OneFootball

Manchester United are preparing for a major midfield overhaul this summer.

The Red Devils’ engine room has been steady, but it has rarely operated at its absolute best. The prevailing view is that standards in the centre of the park must rise, and rise quickly, if the 20‑time English champions are to reclaim their glory days.

With INEOS’ intention to reinforce United’s midfield now football’s worst‑kept secret, several of Europe’s most in‑form players are being linked with a move to M16.

Napoli raid

One of those names is Scott McTominay. The United academy graduate, now starring for Italian champions Napoli, continues to be linked with a sensational Premier League return.

At Old Trafford, he was more of a squad player, yet in Naples he has blossomed into Serie A’s Most Valuable Player, inspiring the Partenopei to the Scudetto at the first time of asking.

McTominay’s numbers underlined the transformation: 12 goals and four assists in 34 league games, coupled with commanding displays that made last season arguably the finest of his career.

This campaign has been less explosive, with six goals and three assists in 23 league outings, though many attribute that dip to Napoli’s collective struggles rather than his own decline.

Even so, the Scotland international remains one of Europe’s standout midfielders, fuelling speculation of a Premier League homecoming and even a return to Manchester.

McTominay responds to United talk

As anticipation grew among United fans, McTominay poured cold water on the idea with his latest remarks.

“My agent has not communicated with anyone regarding my future,” he told Il Corriere dello Sport.

“He only speaks with me and with the club. He hasn’t said anything to the newspapers. I am extremely happy here and, as far as I am concerned, I am a Napoli player; it is all I think about.

“The future is very important, and I could see myself in Napoli for a long time.” Those words have dashed hopes of a reunion at Old Trafford.

With McTominay seemingly off the table, INEOS have little choice but to look elsewhere. Fortunately, brilliant midfielders such as Elliot Anderson, Carlos Baleba and Sandro Tonali remain firmly on their radar, each offering the quality and potential to strengthen United’s midfield.

Attention now shifts to which of these players the club will ultimately pursue, as United aim to assemble one of the most formidable engine rooms the Premier League has witnessed in years.

Feature image Francesco Pecoraro via Getty Images

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