December 23rd 2024.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe, the owner of Manchester United, has been in the news lately, with former Old Trafford legend Jaap Stam voicing his opinion on the club's decision to sell Scott McTominay to Napoli. McTominay, who had been a part of Manchester United since the tender age of six, completed a £25m move to Naples last summer, ending his 22-year association with the Premier League giants.
The 28-year-old Scottish international has been making waves in Italy, helping Napoli secure the second spot in Serie A, just two points behind leaders Atalanta. Manager Antonio Conte has been full of praise for McTominay, and his former teammate Stam believes that Manchester United made a mistake by selling him. Stam admits that while tough decisions sometimes have to be made, he would have been keen for McTominay to stay at Old Trafford.
Stam, who spoke to Sport Lens, said, "Scott McTominay has been a very important influence at Manchester United even though he wasn't a guaranteed starter. He scored goals and had a big impact, and those are the players you don't want to lose as a football club. Leaving might have been a good step for him, as is currently being discussed with Marcus Rashford, but he may well have wanted to stay. He has been a very important player for Napoli, and his confidence is growing because he is starting most games. Overall, I think selling him was a bad call for United."
McTominay himself has spoken about his departure from Old Trafford, saying that he would have "snapped your hand off" for the United career he had. He also expressed his gratitude for the club and is now ready for a new challenge. However, former United boss Erik ten Hag, who was sacked last month, revealed that he did not support the decision to offload McTominay. He said, "I'm very happy for him. It's also [a good deal] for us, but it is mixed because I wouldn't prefer to lose him because he's Manchester United in everything. He was so important for our team, for Manchester United, but unfortunately it's the rules. We have to discuss the rules, when you have to sell, and obviously homegrown and academy players bring more value. That's not the right thing to do. But I think for everyone, for all parts, it's a good deal. For Scott, he's happy with it, for Napoli a very good player, but also for us."
While McTominay's current club Napoli is in the title contention heading into the second half of the season, his former club Manchester United is struggling in the Premier League and is currently in the 13th position. Under new boss Ruben Amorim, the team has been inconsistent, suffering a 3-0 defeat at home to Bournemouth over the weekend. McTominay's departure has certainly left a void in the United squad, and his former teammates and fans are now watching him make a name for himself in Italy.
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