United plot explosive return for Solskjaer favourite as INEOS admit they made a terrible mistake – report

Manchester United are “keen” on re-signing Scott McTominay in a shock twist after the 28-year-old midfielder left Old Trafford last year, according to a report. The Bench to the Ballon d’Or McTominay joined Napoli in the final week of the 2024 summer transfer window, a move which freed up sufficient funds for United to sign Manuel Ugarte from Paris-Saint Germain to replace him. But while the Uruguayan midfielder has, to put it mildly, struggled to adapt to the rigours of Premier League football, McTominay has enjoyed an Italian renaissance. Despite often finding himself on the bench during his final season with the Red Devils, Napoli manager Antonio Conte made McTominay a permanent fixture in his starting eleven after his £25.4 million switch was sealed. But Conte deployed the Scotland international in a more advanced role, freeing him of the defensive shackles he was laboured with at Old Trafford, and minimising his weaknesses on the ball deeper in midfield. The result was a transformative one. McTominay propelled his new side to the league title – only Napoli’s second Scudetto this century – and won Serie A’s MVP award, scoring 12 goals and providing six assists in this new box-crashing role. The performances even earned him a nomination for the Ballon d’Or, finishing 18th in the rankings, ahead of players like Jude Bellingham and Erling Haaland. It constituted a remarkable debut campaign at the Diego Armanda Maradona Stadium – but one which has put a host of clubs across Europe on red-alert over whether the Scot could have a similarly impact effect at their ground, including his old employers. Scott McTominay – Stats TeamAppearancesGoalsAssists Man United255298 Napoli50177 Scotland65130 Statistics provided by Transfermarkt Interest in England and Europe Caught Offside reveals United are “one of the clubs eyeing up” McTominay with a number of clubs chasing him in the Premier League. The report contends Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle are suitors while the Red Devils are “keen to bring him back” to Old Trafford. LaLiga champions Barcelona are even mentioned as a club with “genuine and concrete interest” with a price of €50m mooted as a starting point for negotiations. “Even if clubs are queuing up to sign McTominay, it looks like it could take at least €50m to prise him away, though Napoli are not even setting an asking price right now. “’There is concrete interest in Scott McTominay,’ one source told me. ‘Manchester United would have him back, and keep an eye on Newcastle and Tottenham. Barcelona also view him as someone who could be a good fit for their midfield.’ “Still, it seems unlikely that McTominay himself is going to push for a move, so it would require a club coming in with an offer to test Napoli’s resolve and tempt them into cashing in.” If United were to pursue a return for their academy graduate, it would require tacit admission from INEOS they made a mistake sanctioning his sale in the first place. It would also need a shift in policy away from targeting younger recruits and avoiding players approaching their 30’s. From this perspective, it feels unlikely the club will push to bring McTominay back, no matter how much they may privately want to. The fact that Scot the Scot’s replacement, Ugarte the underperforming Uruguayan, continues to prove himself to be INEOS’s worst transfer since taking the helm at Old Trafford will only compound this feeling. Feature image Francesco Pecoraro via Getty Images The Peoples Person has been one of the world’s leading Man United news sites for over a decade. Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social Darragh Fox Darragh is an editor for The Peoples Person who spent three years learning about the Cold War at the University of Sheffield slowly realising football was by far the most interesting thing to write about. Amad’s first touch should be officially recognised as the eighth wonder of the world.