Scott McTominay left Manchester United two years ago and a lot of people figured he’d be a solid Serie A player, maybe a fan favorite at Napoli. Nobody predicted he’d win the league in his first season, get named MVP, and finish 18th in the Ballon d’Or voting. But that’s exactly what happened.
Now Jose Mourinho wants him back.
According to TuttoMercatoWeb, the Real Madrid boss is pushing to reunite with the midfielder he handed a debut to at United back in 2017. McTominay has never hidden his feelings about Mourinho. “Jose is very special to me,” he said in 2019. “He still keeps in contact with me now and keeps in touch after some games.”
So the personal connection is there. The football fit, though? That’s where it gets complicated.
Napoli Is Playing Hardball
Napoli have no intention of letting McTominay go cheap. They’ve put an €80 million price tag on the 29-year-old, which works out to roughly $85 million. And they mean it. The club has been in contract extension talks with McTominay for months, trying to lock him up beyond 2028. No deal is done yet, but Napoli sees him as the cornerstone of their project.
Corriere del Mezzogiorno reported that discussions have been ongoing but no final agreement has been reached. That leaves the door a crack open for Madrid. But Napoli’s position is clear: if you want their leader, you pay the full price. No discounts, no player swaps. Cash.
What About That Sell-On Clause?
Here’s where it gets interesting for United fans. When McTominay left Old Trafford, the club inserted a 10% sell-on clause into the deal. So if Real Madrid does come in with €80 million, United gets €8 million just for standing there. Not bad for a player they sold two years ago.
McTominay scored 14 goals and added four assists last season across all competitions, which is genuinely ridiculous for a midfielder who isn’t really a No. 10. He’s 6-foot-3, relentless, and has this habit of arriving late in the box that defenders just can’t handle. Mourinho loves that kind of player. Always has.
But Real Madrid isn’t the only club sniffing around. There have been murmurs about a return to United too, though nothing serious has materialized. Napoli is reportedly waiting for McTominay to finish his commitments in the United States before joining their training camp in Castel di Sangro. That’s when the contract talks could heat up again.
One thing worth watching: Mourinho isn’t exactly known for patience in the transfer market. If Napoli holds firm at €80 million, does he pivot, or does he push his board to pay up? The answer probably depends on how much Madrid wants to win now versus build for later.
Either way, McTominay is in the driver’s seat. He’s under contract through 2028, he’s loved in Naples, and he’s got his old mentor calling. Not a bad position to be in for a guy who was once considered just a utility player at United.
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