McTominay Eyes Old Trafford Return as United Lead Pursuit; Dimarco Deal Looms

The McTominay saga continues to rumble on. Having departed Manchester United in 2024 after 255 appearances, the Scottish midfielder has flourished at Napoli—so much so that the Italians may now face a battle to keep him.

United's 2023/24 campaign was hardly vintage, yet McTominay managed to shine through the gloom, bagging ten goals from midfield. Despite this form, the club hierarchy opted to cash in, shipping him to Naples for approximately £26m. It looked a curious decision at the time. It looks worse now.

Over two seasons in Serie A, McTominay has delivered the goods spectacularly. Twenty-three goals and ten assists across 70 appearances tell the story—a story that culminated in a Serie A title win last season. For a player once dismissed as not quite good enough for the Premier League, that's quite the vindication.

Yet apparently, the lure of English football still calls. Whilst recent reports suggested McTominay was content in Naples and eyeing a contract extension through to 2028, the latest word from Italy indicates otherwise. Those close to him reckon he harbours designs on a Premier League return before hanging up his boots. And guess who's leading the charge? The very club that let him slip through their fingers.

It's the sort of decision that will haunt the Old Trafford hierarchy should McTominay return and flourish once more.

Elsewhere, United's recruitment focus extends to Italian football's other superpower. Federico Dimarco, the Inter Milan fullback, is squarely on their radar. The San Siro outfit, sensing the threat, are preparing a defensive manoeuvre of their own—a new contract offering terms through June 2030 with wages climbing to €5.5 million annually. That figure would place Dimarco alongside Inter's elite earners, rubbing shoulders with the likes of Alessandro Bastoni and Nicolò Barella in the wage structure. It's a clear attempt to fend off any advances from Manchester United in the coming window.