Serie A's most valuable player and the driving force behind Napoli's fourth Scudetto is finding his role diminished after the signing of Kevin De Bruyne.
Scott McTominay enjoyed a sensational first season in Italy.
The former Manchester United midfielder was full of goals under Partenopei head coach Antonio Conte and was regarded as a new favourite son of Naples long before the league title was secured.
Scotland international McTominay immediately settled in Italy and in Italian football, making a mockery of his unspectacular reputation as a Man Utd player.
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The 28-year-old held his own in a team full of top players including top scorer Romelu Lukaku but Napoli's return to the Champions League has brought a whole new dimension of star power to the Diego Maradona.
De Bruyne's acquisition is having a knock-on effect on McTominay, according to Italian media.
The Belgian arrived in Naples expecting to play and reacted badly when he was substituted during their defeat to AC Milan at San Siro on Sunday.
McTominay has been pushed out towards the left wing to accommodate De Bruyne and the previously forceful impact of the former Red Devils midfielder has been much more limited in the early matches of the 2025-26 season.
"McTominay is Napoli’s biggest problem at the start of this season and not through his fault, but because of where he’s being positioned," said journalist Alessio Lento.
"There’s an issue," added Eleonora Trotta. "Both due to the substitution [of De Bruyne] and the controversy, and because of his impact [on McTominay]."
Conte has a conundrum to solve in his midfield but. If his response to De Bruyne's outburst is any indication, he could well be tempted to return one of his most important players to the position where he was most effective last term.
How McTominay became Serie A's MVP
After leaving Man Utd last summer, McTominay acclimatised immediately at Napoli.
He made all the right noises about the city and backed it up on the pitch, scoring 12 goals in his first Serie A season and putting in a string of mighty performances that helped put Napoli back at the top of the tree.
De Bruyne's pedigree is unimpeachable but balance and culture are crucial to championship-winning teams and the media in Italy have latched on to the idea that the 34-year-old might be upsetting Napoli's.
Topics: Football, Serie A, Napoli, Scott Mctominay, Kevin De Bruyne
Chris Nee