Napoli are favourites for the Serie A title and Scott McTominay has played a vital role. Here, we look at what’s changed for the Scotland international since leaving Manchester United.
From the cramped backseats of a silver Volkswagen Golf emerged the long legs of a fine physical specimen, one who dwarfed all those gathering around him. His blond hair slicked back and black rucksack slung over his right shoulder, he posed for photos and greeted Napoli fans as he went in for his medical at a facility in Rome.
To the average fan, a transfer is practically a formality when it gets to this stage. To all intents and purposes, Napoli had their man.
No, this wasn’t Scott McTominay.
Napoli had been in the market for Marco Brescianini, who’d impressed in 2023-24 despite suffering relegation from Serie A with Frosinone.
A deal was agreed and Brescianini was lined up for – and completed – a medical on 13 August 2024. But by the afternoon, speculation began to surface suggesting the transfer had collapsed due to Napoli reportedly trying to alter the terms of the agreement at the last minute. Brescianini ultimately joined Atalanta, and Napoli had to go back to the drawing board.
At the time, Napoli sporting director Giovanni Manna was in London to discuss the signing of Billy Gilmour from Brighton. With the Brescianini deal falling through, Manna would soon be heading north, where he visited the Manchester home of McTominay in an attempt to sell the idea of a move to Naples.
It was no secret that Manchester United were open to selling McTominay. Although a useful rotation option, he wasn’t an undisputed starter and he represented “pure profit” for Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR) purposes as he’d come through the academy. A sale, then, would be of even greater value to the club.
Manna was successful in his pitch to McTominay. He outlined the passion and culture of Naples, not forgetting the renown of the local cuisine. And then he regaled the Scotland international with talk of Napoli’s history, of Diego Maradona and the club’s fervent fanbase.
The Diego Maradona mural in the Spanish Quarter, Naples (Getty Images)Few clubs in the world carry the kind of cultural significance of Napoli, and McTominay was able to add to all of that the fact he’d be coached by Antonio Conte, who’d surely get the Partenopei back on track after a disappointing title defence in 2023-24.
Now, with two matches left of the 2024-25 season and Napoli on course to regain the Scudetto with McTominay having played an important role, it’s impossible to not look back the club’s failed pursuit of Brescianini.
While McTominay cost considerably more than Brescianini would have, it’s broadly understood that Napoli wouldn’t have approached United if they’d got their primary target. Of course, it’s entirely possible they’d have still challenged for the title had they signed Brescianini as planned instead, but given McTominay’s impact, it could well have been a ‘sliding doors’ moment.
So, how is it that McTominay has been able to go from bit-part player of a poor Manchester United team to a key cog in a Napoli side that could win only their second Serie A title since 1990?
Conte was pretty much asked that very question in a press conference last week, to which he replied: “[McTominay] feels more complete and knowledgeable, and he’s reaching a key stage in his career where he needs to decide his direction. He never had a primary role at Manchester United, while here we gave him one. He’s worked hard and now he’s a complete player. His improvement has been shared by the whole team.”
A primary role is certainly what he’s had at Napoli. In Serie A this season, for instance, he’s played 2,761 minutes; only Amir Rrahmani (3,226) and captain Giovanni Di Lorenzo (3,150) have accumulated more among outfielders at the club.
That’s already nearly 400 minutes more than he ever played in a single Premier League season for United. It doesn’t just reflect his consistent availability in terms of fitness either; it also speaks to the trust Conte has in him.
“I am glad we got it right in choosing McTominay,” the former Chelsea and Tottenham boss said in December.
Of course, the point isn’t just that McTominay is playing. It’s also where he’s playing, the role he’s being asked to carry out.
Interestingly, Conte adapted his formation partly to get the best out of McTominay. Having started the season with three at the back, he switched initially to 4-2-2-2 with McTominay essentially up top with Romelu Lukaku, before settling on a 4-3-3 that can look fairly similar in shape to a 4-2-3-1.
Crucially, McTominay is the most advanced midfielder, which Man Utd fans will no doubt find especially curious.
In an interview with The Athletic in April, McTominay explicitly said what many United supporters had long insisted, that he’d been “quite misprofiled”.
“It wasn’t the fault of any coaches. My strengths have always been getting into the box, scoring goals, being a problem in there,” he said. “But I was being used as a ‘six’, or as a centre-back, and that has never really been my game.”
For the majority of McTominay’s United career, he averaged over 2.1 tackles and 6.1 possession regains per 90 minutes in the Premier League, which reflected the significant defensive responsibility he often had in a deeper position.
Similarly, before the 2023-24 season, he’d never averaged more than 0.9 shots per 90 in the league for United. The attacking side of the game just wasn’t the priority in the roles he generally played, despite some glimpses of what he could offer.
A 6-2 hammering of Leeds United in December 2020 probably provided McTominay’s most memorable performance for Man Utd, scoring two early goals and getting an assist. Marcelo Bielsa’s men couldn’t handle his off-ball runs from deep, and the midfielder showed his quality in the final third.
At Napoli, however, McTominay’s days as a defensive midfielder are truly over. He’s averaging just 1.4 tackles and 4.3 possession regains per 90, highlighting less defensive focus, and his 2.4 shots per 90 is the most he’s ever managed over a single season.
No longer are ventures forward a rare treat – occupying dangerous positions is what’s expected of him.
There were signs United were starting to use McTominay in a more appropriate way last season, as supported by the fact he tallied seven goals, having only managed six across the three previous campaigns combined. He felt it was his best season at United, but even then, his 2.7 touches in the opposition’s box per 90 was considerably lower than the 3.6 he’s averaging in Serie A this term.
In fact, the best way to summarise the difference in his role might even be to highlight the fact that this is the first full season in his career that he’s averaged more touches in the opposition’s box than his own.
That can be partly put down to playing for a good team, but it also feels pretty symbolic of the different role he’s being asked to perform.
And, most importantly, the impact he’s having is significant.
Among Serie A midfielders (minimum 900 minutes played), he ranks seventh for touches in the opposition’s box per 90 (3.6), fourth for shots per 90 (2.4) and fifth for shots from inside the area per 90 (1.7) this season. He is certainly making his presence known in the final third.
In fact, there are only eight players in the whole division who’ve bettered his 11 goals, and they’re all nominal centre-forwards or wingers.
Five of those goals have come since the start of April. He netted both goals in the 2-0 win over Torino, having also been decisive in the 1-0 defeat of Monza the week before.
It was form that helped him earn the Serie A Player of the Month award for April, a prize he was handed before then getting the assist for both Napoli goals in the weekend’s 2-2 draw with Genoa.
While he spends a considerable amount of time occupying positions towards the left, he also gets into the penalty area with great frequency. Even if not necessarily getting on the end of a cross or pass, he’s enough of a danger simply through his presence because he’s physically powerful and highly capable if the ball drops to him.
Napoli have a one-point lead over Inter with two matches left each, but if they do ultimately go on to win the title, there’ll be no denying the significant part played by McTominay.
“I want to give the fans a title,” he recently said in an interview with Serie A. “I want to be the player that takes us to win [the title] and I’ll do my best to take us in the right direction, giving everything on the pitch and having no regrets at the end of the season.”
Artwork in Naples depicting Scott McTominay (Getty Images)It’s been a remarkable journey already, from just another player in an unspectacular United side to the man in a Napoli team that could win the Scudetto.
Whatever happens over the next couple of weeks, McTominay’s hero status looks secure and is a just reward for the bravery shown in stepping out of his comfort zone, jumping into the unknown, and letting the fervour of Naples wash over him.
And to think, he wasn’t even their first choice.
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