West Ham United have “held initial talks” regarding a summer deal to sign Manchester United defensive midfielder Scott McTominay, according to Sky Sports reporter Dharmesh Sheth.
Is Scott McTominay leaving Manchester United?
The Red Devils product has made 209 senior appearances since graduating from the club’s academy to become a regular feature of the first team, but last season, he fell significantly out of favour under Erik Ten Hag at Old Trafford.
In the Premier League, the 26-year-old was handed just ten starts and was forced to sit on the bench for the majority of the time, being introduced from the sidelines on 14 occasions, via WhoScored, and with the recent arrival of Mason Mount alongside Casemiro and Christian Eriksen, he’ll only continue to be out of favour and low down in the pecking order moving forward.
The Scotland international does still have another two years to run on his contract, but it’s likely that he will be on the move during this window in order to receive more game time elsewhere, and should he depart, he has an admirer in David Moyes at the London Stadium.
The Independent’s Miguel Delaney has reported that the Irons hold a “strong interest” in the central talisman who has been made a priority target by chiefs in the capital, and if the following update is to be believed, it sounds as if they have taken their admiration one step further by initiating contact.
Are West Ham signing Scott McTominay?
Taking to Twitter, Sheth revealed that West Ham have reached out to Man United to discover what it would take to get a deal over the line for McTominay in the coming weeks. He wrote:
“West Ham have held initial talks with Manchester United over Maguire & McTominay. Gap in valuations for both players. United see them as very important members of [the] squad. While not encouraging offers, it would require very big bids for United to even consider a sale.”
Who would Scott McTominay replace?
West Ham are yet to replace former captain Declan Rice following his move to Arsenal so Moyes will be aware that he needs to recruit a suitable successor, and having been dubbed a “hero” by journalist Josh Bunting, McTominay could be the ideal candidate he’s looking for.
Man United’s 6 foot 3 colossus ranked in the 99th percentile for clearances and the 98th percentile for aerial wins by midfielders last season, highlighting how strong he was at getting rid of the danger and protecting his backline, despite having a short amount of time to prove himself to Ten Hag.
The Lancaster-born talent, who also scored three goals and provided one assist across all competitions during the previous campaign, would additionally provide the boss with versatility with his ability to play in five various positions, including three roles in the midfield and at centre-back, just like Rice.
The Red Devils are reportedly looking to receive a fee of £40m in order to sanction the sale of McTominay which shouldn’t be a problem having received £105m for Rice, so if the opportunity presents itself, this is a deal that the hierarchy should be all over.