“It really doesn’t sit well with me” - Rio Ferdinand slams Manchester United for treatment of 27-year-old star
Rio Ferdinand is bemused by Manchester United's willingness to part ways with Scott McTominay. The Scottish midfielder is closing in on a move to Serie A giants Napoli, ending his 22-year association with the Red Devils.
McTominay is expected to complete a £25.4 million move to the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium, per BBC Sport. He had a year left on his contract, and United decided to cash in on the Scotland international.
Ferdinand thinks his former club have made a mistake selling McTominay. The iconic former defender explained on his YouTube channel how every team gunning for the title needs a utility player like the Scot.
"I look at Scott McTominay and not every player can be a star, a standout player. But to win the league you need the likes of John O’Shea, Wes Brown, Darren Fletcher… you need a Julian Alvarez at Man City."
He added:
"They might not start every game but they were huge, you need those players and most of them know the DNA of the club, especially ones who have come through the academy, there’s a lot to be said for that."
Manchester United are expected to seal a deal for Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Manuel Ugarte as McTominay's replacement. The Uruguayan could cost around €60 million (£50.7 million), per L'Equipe.
Ferdinand questioned the need to sell McTominay and replace him with a player who will be costly:
"It really doesn’t sit well with me. To replace him you’re going to have to spend £30m or £40m and give him £150,000 a week probably. It’s not going to be cheap and it’s a gamble, you don’t know what you’re going to get, whereas with McTominay you know what you’re getting."
McTominay rose through the youth ranks at Manchester United before making his senior debut in 2017. He's set to leave Old Trafford, having scored 29 goals and eight assists in 255 games and won the FA Cup and the Carabao Cup.
"Very important" - Erik ten Hag suggested he wanted to keep Scott McTominay at Manchester United
Erik ten Hag spoke about McTominay's situation earlier this summer when speculation grew over a potential departure. The Dutch coach spoke highly of the midfielder and highlighted his importance last season (via transfer expert Fabrizio Romano):
"If you score 10 goals in a season and perform very well for Scotland there will be interest. We want to actually keep him because he's a very important player for us. We've seen what he can contribute last season."
Ten Hag's stance might have changed after watching Manchester United's midfield overrun last weekend. They suffered a 2-1 loss to Brighton & Hove Albion, with McTominay coming off the bench in the second half.
Ugarte will bring more defensive nous to a midfield that has looked vulnerable over the past year. He won't be as prolific as McTominay, but he'll bring much-needed steel alongside Kobbie Mainoo.