Scott McTominay has ‘told’ Kevin De Bruyne why he must reject Liverpool for Napoli

In what has become one of football’s most compelling redemption stories of the 2024/25 season, Scott McTominay has transformed from Manchester United squad player to Serie A sensation. The Scottish international’s remarkable renaissance in Naples has not only revitalized his own career but could now prove instrumental in luring other Premier League stars to Italy’s shores.

A Career Reborn Under the Shadow of Vesuvius

When Antonio Conte’s Napoli secured McTominay’s signature last summer in a £25.7 million deal, few could have predicted the seismic impact the midfielder would have on Italian football. Fast forward eight months, and the 28-year-old has established himself as one of Europe’s most exciting midfield talents, netting an impressive 11 goals in 31 Serie A appearances and spearheading Napoli’s title charge.

“Things were difficult in Manchester,” McTominay reflected in a recent interview with The Athletic. “I didn’t know what was happening exactly. And you instantly know Napoli, the passion of the fans, the quality of the league.”

The statistics tell their own story. McTominay has already surpassed Scottish legend Denis Law’s record for most goals by a Scottish player in a single Serie A season. Law scored 10 for Torino in the 1961-62 campaign, while McTominay currently sits at 11 with four crucial matches remaining. His brace against Torino on April 28th propelled Napoli to a vital 2-0 victory, putting them three points clear of Inter Milan at the summit of Serie A.

Such has been his impact that the notoriously critical Italian media have embraced him wholeheartedly. Gazzetta dello Sport, Italy’s leading sports daily, recently proclaimed him a “genius” following another match-winning performance. It’s high praise in a league renowned for its tactical sophistication and defensive prowess.

The Conte Effect

McTominay’s transformation hasn’t occurred in isolation. Antonio Conte, the manager who brought him to Naples, has a storied history of revitalizing careers and extracting the maximum potential from players who appeared to have stalled elsewhere.

“I believe the decision to give McTominay a ‘main role’ explains his development,” Conte recently stated, highlighting how a change in tactical approach and the confidence of being a central figure has unleashed the Scotsman’s true abilities.

The Italian tactician’s system has perfectly harnessed McTominay’s box-to-box capabilities. While at Manchester United, he was often deployed in a more defensive role, limiting his natural inclination to make late runs into the penalty area. At Napoli, Conte has given him the freedom to venture forward, resulting in goal-scoring statistics that many established strikers would envy.

From Naples with Love: Life Off the Pitch

The midfielder’s revival hasn’t been limited to his performances on the pitch. According to The Daily Mail, both McTominay and his girlfriend Cam Reading have “fallen in love” with life in Naples and are “thankful they made the move from Manchester.”

This personal contentment has undoubtedly contributed to his stellar form. Naples, with its breathtaking coastal setting, rich history, and passionate football culture, provides a stark contrast to the pressure cooker environment of Manchester United. Free from the weight of expectations that comes with playing for a club in perpetual crisis, McTominay has flourished in the more tactically nuanced environment of Serie A.

“People have to be careful when people say Italy or Spain aren’t on a par with the Premier League,” McTominay cautioned. “Physically and tactically, I’ve had some of my hardest games here.”

The De Bruyne Connection: Could Napoli’s Scottish Success Story Influence the Belgian Maestro?

As Kevin De Bruyne approaches the end of his illustrious Manchester City career, with the Belgian maestro announcing in April that he would leave the club at the end of the season, speculation is mounting about his next destination.

Liverpool and Napoli have emerged as the frontrunners in the race for his signature, with the Italian club hoping McTominay’s remarkable transition might serve as a powerful recruiting tool. The parallels are clear – both players approaching the latter stages of their careers, both seeking new challenges after achieving significant success in England.

De Bruyne, with six Premier League titles and a Champions League trophy in his Manchester City career, might be enticed by what appears to be a growing exodus of talent from England to Italy. The success of McTominay, along with other Premier League exports like former Chelsea striker Romelu Lukaku and Scottish international Billy Gilmour, both of whom joined Napoli last summer, could prove persuasive.

Unless De Bruyne decides to sign a short-term deal to stay for the upcoming Club World Cup, it appears he has only four games remaining with City, meaning a decision on his future is imminent. The prospect of joining Conte’s revolution at Napoli, potentially alongside a rejuvenated McTominay, might prove too tempting to resist.

United’s Foresight: The Sell-On Clause Masterstroke

While Manchester United fans might lament the loss of a player now thriving elsewhere, the club’s hierarchy showed remarkable prescience in negotiating McTominay’s departure. As part of the deal to sell the midfielder to Napoli, United included a 10 percent sell-on fee in the agreement.

This clause could prove extremely lucrative. According to the CIES Football Observatory, McTominay’s market value has risen significantly since his move and is currently estimated to be between €38-52 million – potentially double what Napoli paid less than a year ago.

Should Napoli decide to cash in on their midfield dynamo in the future, United would immediately receive between €3.8-5.2 million. With McTominay’s stock continuing to rise and his contract running until June 2028, this figure could increase further, representing astute business from the Old Trafford club despite losing a player who has subsequently thrived.

Napoli’s Transfer Strategy: Leveraging McTominay’s Success

Napoli and Conte appear to be doubling down on their Premier League recruitment strategy. Following the success of McTominay, reports from The Sun suggest the club is eyeing Manchester City’s Jack Grealish as their next target.

Grealish, who has largely fallen out of favor under Pep Guardiola this season, starting just one Premier League match in 2025, could be the perfect candidate for Conte’s reputation as a career revitalizer. The report claims Napoli will use McTominay’s example to convince the 29-year-old England international to make the move to Italy.

Guardiola himself acknowledged Grealish’s limited opportunities earlier this season, stating in February: “I’m so sorry he doesn’t get the minutes that maybe he deserves. But, [in] the end, the contributions from Jeremy [Doku] or Savinho have been massive this season. This is the only reason why. It’s not personal, or I don’t like Jack, or I don’t have confidence in him.”

If successful, Grealish would become only the fourth English player to represent Napoli, following in the footsteps of Axel Tuanzebe and Nathaniel Chalobah, who both had loan spells in Naples in recent years, and Leslie Minter, one of the club’s co-founders who played for them between 1926 and 1927.

Title Dreams and Performance Bonuses

As Napoli edge closer to what would be only their fourth Serie A title in their history, following triumphs in 1987 and 1990 during the Diego Maradona era and their most recent success in 2023 under Luciano Spalletti, reports suggest lucrative bonuses could be in store for McTominay and his teammates.

Napoli owner Aurelio De Laurentiis has a history of rewarding his players handsomely for success. Two years ago, La Repubblica reported that De Laurentiis pledged significant incentives for winning the league, with all players and staff entitled to a share.

When asked by CBS Sports Golazo’s Guillem Balague about potential bonuses of €10 million if Napoli beat Barcelona to qualify for the Champions League quarter-finals and secure a spot in the Club World Cup, De Laurentiis confirmed: “You are very well informed. It’s more than €10 million, in fact.”

Although Napoli were eliminated after a 4-2 aggregate defeat, TMW claimed De Laurentiis was still willing to provide a substantial bonus if they secured a top-four finish and qualification for the 2024/25 season – a target they missed by finishing 10th.

Given the remarkable turnaround this season and the potential for a title triumph, it seems likely that De Laurentiis will once again open his checkbook to reward McTominay and his teammates should they secure the Scudetto.

“It would mean the world, obviously the squad did it two years ago,” McTominay told DAZN when asked about the prospect of winning the league. “We mustn’t get too high, as now we are leading the race, but we’ve got to keep calm, keep everything relaxed and go game by game. This game isn’t important unless we win the next and the one after that. So let’s stay calm and see where it gets us.”

With four games remaining in Serie A, Napoli now sit three points clear at the top of the table ahead of fixtures against Lecce, Genoa, Parma, and Cagliari – a relatively favorable run-in that has fans dreaming of another title celebration in the shadow of Mount Vesuvius.

The Scottish Connection in Serie A

McTominay isn’t the only Scottish international making waves in Italy’s top flight. His compatriot Che Adams has scored nine times in Serie A since joining Torino last year, contributing to a growing Scottish influence in Italian football.

The pair faced off in Napoli’s recent 2-0 victory over Torino, with McTominay’s double overshadowing Adams’ contribution. Their success in Italy harks back to a bygone era when Scottish players were more commonly found plying their trade across European leagues.

McTominay’s achievement in surpassing Denis Law’s record for most goals by a Scottish player in a single Serie A season is particularly noteworthy. Law, one of Scotland’s greatest ever players, scored 10 goals for Torino in the 1961-62 season – a record that stood for over six decades until McTominay’s recent exploits.

The Final Push: Napoli’s Title Race

As the Serie A season enters its final stretch, Napoli’s destiny is in their own hands. Their remaining fixtures against Lecce, Genoa, Parma, and Cagliari represent a manageable run-in, although the pressure of a title race can often cause unexpected stumbles.

Inter Milan, their closest challengers, face Verona, Lazio, and Como in their remaining league fixtures. The competition at the top of the table has been so fierce that there remains a possibility of Inter and Napoli finishing level on points, which would necessitate a play-off to determine the champions – a rare occurrence in Italian football.

McTominay’s contribution could prove decisive in these final matches. His ability to deliver in crucial moments, evidenced by his match-winning brace against Torino, will be vital as Napoli aim to secure their fourth Scudetto.

“Scott McTominay is a genius,” wrote Antonio Giordano in Gazzetta dello Sport – high praise indeed for a player once deemed surplus to requirements at Manchester United. Should he help deliver the title to Naples, few would argue with that assessment.

A Blueprint for Premier League Exports

McTominay’s success story provides a compelling blueprint for other Premier League players considering a move to Serie A. His adaptation to Italian football’s tactical demands, his embrace of Neapolitan culture, and his on-field success demonstrate that careers can be revitalized away from England’s top flight.

The narrative that Serie A is somehow inferior to the Premier League – a view McTominay himself has challenged – is increasingly difficult to maintain given the performances of Premier League exports in Italy.

As the football world becomes ever more global and interconnected, with players increasingly willing to test themselves in different leagues and cultures, McTominay’s journey from Manchester United academy graduate to Napoli fan favorite offers valuable lessons about the potential benefits of stepping outside one’s comfort zone.

For De Bruyne, Grealish, and others contemplating their next move, the Scottish midfielder’s Italian renaissance provides compelling evidence that sometimes a change of scenery is exactly what a career needs.

Conclusion: From United Castoff to Napoli Icon

When Scott McTominay bid farewell to Manchester United last summer after a 20-year association with the club, few could have predicted the spectacular success that awaited him in Naples. In less than a full season, he has established himself as a key figure in one of Europe’s most exciting teams, breaking scoring records, winning over the notoriously demanding Italian media, and potentially on the verge of adding a Serie A title to his resume.

“McTominay will be missed by everyone at the club and leaves with our best wishes as he embarks on a new chapter of his career in Italy,” read Manchester United’s statement when his transfer was confirmed. “Good luck, Scott, – arrivederci, and thank you for the fabulous memories.”

Little did they know just how successful that new chapter would be. As De Bruyne, Grealish, and perhaps others contemplate following in his footsteps, McTominay’s Italian adventure stands as testament to football’s capacity for reinvention and redemption. From Manchester United castoff to Napoli icon – it’s a journey few saw coming, but one that has captivated the football world.