Napoli is making headlines once again, as they continue to strengthen their squad with key signings. Following the acquisition of Romelu Lukaku, the Italian club has secured another talent from the Premier League: Scott McTominay has agreed to join Napoli from Manchester United for a fee of €30 million. This deal was finalized during a recent visit by Napoli’s sporting director, Giovanni Manna, to London, where he also sealed the deal for Lukaku.
The signing of McTominay is a parallel move to Napoli’s pursuit of Billy Gilmour, another player from the Premier League currently at Brighton. While Napoli is finalizing the deal with Brighton, they are preparing to welcome McTominay, a 27-year-old product of Manchester United’s Academy. His departure is a significant financial benefit for United in terms of Financial Fair Play.
McTominay made his first-team debut under José Mourinho in the 2016-17 season and has developed into a strong holding midfielder. However, under Erik ten Hag last season, he also showcased his versatility by being deployed as an attacking midfielder or even as a false nine, contributing seven goals in 32 appearances. He was also a critical player for Scotland, scoring the only goal for his team at the last European Championship and is seen as one of the national side’s stars along with Gilmour.
Despite his promising abilities, McTominay has had limited playtime this season, with only 19 minutes across the first two matches. His departure from United has been a topic of interest throughout the transfer window, as the club turned down a previous offer from Fulham in June, which was capped at €25 million.
McTominay’s contract at Old Trafford is worth €2 million and is set to expire at the end of this season, although there is an option for an extension for an additional year.
This move won’t be the last Premier League signing for Napoli, as they are closing in on Gilmour for around €15 million. The young midfielder played a full match in Brighton’s win against United but now faces competition as his former team has found a replacement in Matt O’Reilly, who is arriving from Celtic for €35 million. With a total of €235 million spent this transfer window, Brighton is in a position to offload some players.
Napoli fans have reason to be excited, as coach Antonio Conte prepares to build his team around this new duo of Scottish warriors, McTominay and Gilmour.