Homegrown star Scott McTominay may think twice about leaving Manchester United for Antonio Conte‘s Napoli this summer.
The Italian giants are reported to be interested in cutting a deal for the Red Devils midfielder, who has again been strongly linked with an exit from Old Trafford after approaches from Fulham. However, there’s evidence to suggest the Scotland international may not have it easy working under Conte’s care.
The 55-year-old manager – who clinched both the Premier League title and FA Cup trophy at Chelsea – saw his time in England marred by reports of division in his dressing rooms. Conte’s last Premier League club was Tottenham, whom he left last year on a sour note after publicly criticising his squad following a 3-3 draw with Southampton.
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Just prior to his departure in March 2023, The Guardian reported there were those at Tottenham who ‘couldn’t wait for Conte to leave’. The report quoted a source inside the Spurs dressing room, who claimed numerous players wanted him to leave after hanging his squad out to dry in the wake of disappointing results.
It wasn’t only in north London that he supposedly encountered resistance from his charges, either, given there were rumours of dissent among the ranks at Stamford Bridge. After winning the Premier League title in 2017, The Sun reported certain Chelsea stars were ‘exhausted’ with the coach’s training methods, which have a reputation for being especially gruelling.
“Around us, there is a lot of b******t,” he told reporters at the time. “I see in the past it happened the same with a lot of managers. A lot of b******t. They try to create problems between me, the club and players.”
It could serve as a warning to £30million-rated McTominay, who now has less than a week to find a new club if he is to move this summer. The 27-year-old wants to remain with his boyhood club, but it’s understood United have been attempting to use the Scotland star as a means of raising funds this summer.
The Times have reported Napoli are keen on a loan deal, though that could prove tricky given he has only a year left on his contract (albeit with an option to extend the deal by another 12 months). It’s also understood McTominay could play a big part in the puzzle to sign Manuel Ugarte from Paris Saint-Germain this summer.
Leaving United’s ranks for Serie A would be a culture shock, to say the least, but joining Conte’s corps in Naples could prove particularly testing. And one need only look at the manager’s track record with English clubs to see why.
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