European giants set to pull out of race to sign Manchester United star Scott McTominay - Reports
Galatasaray are reportedly set to end their pursuit of Manchester United midfielder Scott McTominay. He is in the last year of his contract at Old Trafford, which has the option to be extended for another season.
According to TeamTalk (via SportsMole), Gala doesn't want to meet the £30 million price tag Manchester United has put on McTominay. They are apparently open to paying only £12.8 million and are, hence, put off by the Red Devils' demands.
McTominay hasn't been a fixed starter at Manchester United since Erik ten Hag became the club's new manager in 2022. He has started just 28 league games in that time, with Christian Eriksen, Casemiro, Bruno Fernandes, and Kobbie Mainoo finding favor in midfield under the Dutchman.
McTominay is a one-club man so far, with 29 goals and eight assists in 252 senior Manchester United appearances so far. Fulham and Turkish giants Fenerbahce have also been linked with a move, with the former considering him as a replacement for Joao Palhinha.
McTominay's potential suitors have been given plenty of opportunities to see him in action ahead of the new season. He featured in their pre-season wins against Arsenal (2-1) and Real Betis (3-2), and in the recent 3-0 loss against Liverpool.
A brief overview of Scott McTominay's 2023-24 Manchester United season
Scott McTominay featured in 43 games across competitions last season, which proves that he is still a key player at Manchester United. Eighteen of these were Premier League starts, and he made tangible contributions in key games.
The box-to-box midfielder scored seven times in the league, with all of those strikes coming in matches the Red Devils won by a one-goal difference. His most memorable outing came against Brentford in October, when he came off the bench in the 87th minute to score a brace in a 2-1 league win.
McTominay also scored and assisted a goal each in his team's 4-3 (A.E.T) FA Cup quarter-final win against Liverpool. He also netted in the 3-3 (4-2 on pens) semi-final victory against Coventry City, with the Red Devils lifting the trophy after beating Manchester City 2-1 in the final.
McTominay traveled with Scotland to the UEFA Euro 2024, playing every minute of their three group games. He netted in the 1-1 draw against Switzerland but his team were eliminated courtesy of group-stage losses against Germany (1-5) and Hungary (0-1).