Ruben Amorim is set to enter his first summer transfer window at Manchester United after a disastrous season, and he could do with having one player in his squad who Erik ten Hag was made to let go
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Manchester United manager Erik Ten Hag shakes hands with Sir Alex Ferguson following the Emirates FA Cup Final between Manchester City and Manchester United at Wembley Stadium
Manchester United made one giant transfer mistake under Erik ten Hag despite Sir Alex Ferguson's best attempts to avoid it
(Image: undefined via Getty Images)
A dismal season at Manchester United has resulted in Ruben Amorim shouldering the burden left by some of his predecessors. However, perhaps no transfer blunder is more evident at present than the decision to offload Scott McTominay, a move Sir Alex Ferguson had cautioned the club against.
Erik ten Hag was still in charge at Old Trafford when the Red Devils decided to sell McTominay after 22 years with the club, having first joined United at the age of five. The club's lack of foresight has been underscored once again following the Scot's triumphant debut season with Napoli, where he won Serie A and clinched the league's Player of the Season award.
At 28, McTominay led Antonio Conte's pursuit of a 10th career Scudetto (five as a player, five as a coach), contributing 12 goals and six assists along the way. Only six players netted more goals in Italy's top tier, and it goes without saying such a contribution would have been invaluable to a United side that just set a new record low for goals scored in a Premier League season (44).
Not too shabby for a £25.7million investment deemed surplus to requirements by his childhood club. Ferguson's fondness for the player is well known, and it was during Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's tenure that the United legend made it clear he believed McTominay deserved a key role in the starting XI.
"Scott McTominay is now emerging as one of Man United's big players," Ferguson told the Scottish FA in 2021. "When you watch Man United pick their team for a big game, McTominay's name is in it. He's a good character, a great trainer. I know a little bit about the boy, and I think that's the background."
His qualities not only attest to his personal fortitude but also underline the kind of player that Amorim might have benefited from having. Too frequently this term, United have gained an upper hand in matches only to then draw unnecessary pressure, highlighted by the fact they've suffered 18 league defeats, their worst tally in more than 50 years.
Scott McTominay of SSC Napoli poses for a photo with the Serie A scudetto title trophy and the Serie A Season 24/25 MVP Trophy after the Serie A match between SSC Napoli and Cagliari Calcio
Scott McTominay upset the odds to be named Serie A Player of the Season in his debut campaign in Italy
It was back in October that Ten Hag insisted he "didn't want" McTominay to leave, as per The Mirror, hinting at internal club preferences rather than his own judgement. McTominay appeared to acknowledge the club's stance when he spoke to the BBC Football Daily podcast, hinting Financial Fair Play (FFP) had played a big role in his departure.
One could argue much of United's struggle in the transfer market since Ferguson retired is attributed to concentrating on the wrong types of player. They've invested heavily in marquee names and high-potential youngsters who may not always fit their needs, often overlooking the invaluable traits McTominay epitomises.
"I signed [McTominay] when he was seven or eight years of age and he was actually a centre-forward as a kid," Ferguson said back in 2021. "He's just sprouted, a little bit like Darren Fletcher. Darren had a few little annoying injuries as he was growing and needed some rest periods and things like that.
Ruben Amorim and Sir Alex Ferguson
Ruben Amorim could do with some of Ferguson's sage advice this summer
"McTominay is of a similar type to Darren - long, lanky, good winner of the ball and a good turn of pace going forward, a great attitude to the game. All these attitudes that Darren Fletcher had, he's got them."
Ferguson, 83, had a knack for spotting understated talents who made his teams more than the sum of their parts. These assets often played key roles in enhancing the performances of the more high-profile names on the team sheet, with Park Ji-sung, Nemanja Vidic and John O'Shea being prime examples.
The £25m United received for McTominay's signature may seem like a small sum now, especially given his accomplishments in Italy. It's fair to say Napoli benefited from United's loss as their new talisman quickly adapted to Italian football, showcasing all the best bits of a dynamic midfield presence that was already evident in his final season at Old Trafford.