United Made A Big Mistake In Football
LONDON: Manchester United have been told they made one of the biggest mistakes in world football by allowing Scott McTominay to leave Old Trafford.
United sold McTominay to Italian club Napoli last summer in a deal worth 27.5 million pounds.
Since joining the Serie A champions, McTominay has created an incredible phenomenon when he immediately became a fan favorite after helping Napoli win the league in his first season with the club.
United allowed McTominay to leave to help them comply with financial regulations as his transfer fee was counted as a net profit in the financial statements, given his status as an academy player.
However, former United coach Benni McCarthy, who worked with McTominay under former manager Erik ten Hag, described the sale of the 28-year-old as a big mistake, given his stellar performances at Napoli.
According to McCarthy: “There are of course various reasons why you sell local players. When they leave, the profits can be used to sign more players.
“However, letting him go was one of the biggest mistakes in football. He was born to play for United. Maybe he’s not the most technical, but he has a fighting spirit and I think that’s what they’re trying to get back with Matheus Cunha.
“Scotty is the type of player you need in the dressing room to achieve success. To let him go for such a small fee was a huge regret. I think everyone at the club regrets the decision.”
Meanwhile, McCarthy also revealed that he once urged United to sign Liverpool striker Cody Gakpo but the move was thwarted by the club’s talent scouting department.
“Gakpo was the player we wanted the most, but missed out. I think he was the first player we talked about, and we all agreed he was the right player.”
“I think we were very close to getting him. At one point, it seemed like it was ours to have. His agent knew Erik, and there were very positive discussions.”