Jason Cundy has delivered his verdict on Scott McTominay potentially fitting in at West Ham as Declan Rice left a major void in midfield.
Since his departure to Arsenal, the Hammers have tried to bring in quality in the middle of the park, and the likes of Soungoutou Magassa and Mateus Fernandes have done a decent job.
However, signings like Guido Rodriguez, Andy Irving, Edson Alvarez and James Ward-Prowse have all not been up to the mark for them.
This is shocking! 😰 Relegation is going to be dire for West Ham…
What would YOU do to avoid this mess?
West Ham owner David Sullivan
👇 Join the debate; share your insight. Use the comment button on the bottom left to have your say
The lack of quality in a number of areas, including central midfield, has seen West Ham find themselves in a relegation battle.
Kobbie Mainoo is being considered by the London Stadium outfit in January and is among a number of midfielders linked to the club.
Jason Cundy believes West Ham should have replaced Declan Rice with Scott McTominay
Cundy was discussing the situation at the Hammers, given their struggles in recent seasons.
From winning a European trophy and finishing in the top half of the Premier League, they have found themselves in relegation battles for the last three campaigns.
MORE WEST HAM STORIES
This has led to Nuno Espirito Santo potentially being the second sacking casualty of the season for the Irons.
If you could replace Nuno with one out-of-work manager, who are you picking?
And why?
👇 Join the debate; share your insight. Use the comment button on the bottom left to have your say
Cundy believes that things could have been different had they signed McTominay, now at Napoli, when Rice left.
While he is not a like-for-like replacement for the England international or even an upgrade, he would have been a good fit.
He said on talkSPORT: “Declan Rice left and I said Scott McTominay would be a great fit. He [West Ham fan] laughed at me.
“So I think some of the fans also, you got to look at where you were. It’s not an upgrade on Declan, of course, it’s not, but he’s a seasoned pro in the Premier League.
“You would have got him at a good price at that particular time.”
Declan Rice celebrates during Arsenal v Tottenham Hotspur - Premier League
Photo by James Gill – Danehouse/Getty Images
How has McTominay done since leaving Manchester United?
In his debut season, McTominay scored 12 league goals and provided six assists, making him Serie A’s MVP for the 2024/25 campaign.
He was also nominated for the Ballon d’Or and ended up finishing in 18th place.
The Scotland international was even named in the Serie A team of the season, making a lot of Manchester United fans regret his departure.
Even this season, he has been a regular for Napoli and has contributed to five goals and assists from a midfield position in 16 league games.
It is fair to say that things have improved for McTominay since he left the Manchester outfit and West Ham may regret not making a move for him.
Join Our Newsletter
Receive a digest of our best West Ham content each week direct to your mailbox