Featured Image Credit: The Overlap/Sky Bet
Topics: Football, Manchester United, Roy Keane, Scott Mctominay, Napoli, Antonio Conte
Ryan Smart
Topics: Football, Manchester United, Roy Keane, Scott Mctominay, Napoli, Antonio Conte
One player inadvertently 'tarnished' part of Scott McTominay's career at Manchester United, according to Roy Keane.
United sold McTominay to Italian giants Napoli for a fee of £25 million in the summer of 2024.
The Scotland international went on to help Napoli to win the Serie A title last season under Antonio Conte.
McTominay won the Serie A MVP award for his own performances, which saw him score 12 goals and provide four assists in 34 league matches.
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He has started this campaign with five goals in 13 appearances in all competitions, with Napoli currently top of Serie A on goal difference ahead of Roma.
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The 28-year-old had fallen down United's pecking order under Erik ten Hag at the time of his sale, but his impact on Napoli has clearly shown that United were not able to get the best out of him towards the end of his spell at Old Trafford.
Speaking on The Overlap's 'Stick to Football' in May, United legend Roy Keane claimed that McTominay's defensive midfield partnership with Fred under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer partially 'tarnished' his career at Old Trafford.
"It just wasn't a good combo," Keane began. "I know Ole praises both of them, which is beyond me.
"I always thought there was something in Scott. He had more than Fred going on, but as a partnership, it didn't work; it wasn't happening. United weren't competing in midfield.
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"It tarnished him a little bit. 'McFred', wasn't it? He's added to his game, to be fair to him. He's always had a goal in him, but he's got that up to another level.
If he wasn't scoring the goals at Napoli, we wouldn't be talking about him. But you can't keep talking about players who leave a big club and say, 'We should have kept them'. You can't keep everyone.
"I think McTominay could have been in the group, 100 per cent. But playing every week?
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"They haven't brought in better, which is the problem for the club. United's recruitment has been that poor that you still talk about former players."
United's summer recruitment under Ruben Amorim focused mainly on the attacking areas of the pitch, with goalkeeper Senne Lammens also brought in.
The club were linked with a big-money move for Brighton midfielder Carlos Baleba but that did not come to fruition.