'I love him so much!' - Man United accused of 'one of the biggest transfer mistakes ever' by World Cup winner

A legend’s glowing verdict

World Cup winner Marco Materazzi has not held back in his assessment of United’s recent transfer business, specifically highlighting the sale of McTominay to Napoli. The former Inter defender revealed he has been a long-term admirer of the midfielder, even predicting his rise to the top of the game when he was just a teenager breaking into the first team at Old Trafford.

A proud graduate of the Manchester United academy, McTominay made his senior debut in 2017 and went on to make 255 appearances for the club, playing a key role in securing both the FA Cup and the Carabao Cup during his tenure.

Speaking to

Questionable valuation at Old Trafford

United offloaded their academy graduate to Antonio Conte’s side in 2024 for a fee in the region of £26 million. While the move was seen as a way to balance the books under PSR regulations, the optics have aged poorly as McTominay helped fire Napoli to a Scudetto in his debut season, picking up the Serie A MVP award along the way. Materazzi believes the Red Devils drastically undervalued a player who is now performing at a world-class level. While Napoli have faltered this season, McTominay remains key as their second top scorer in Serie A with seven goals, while he netted four in the Champions League.

“He is an incredible box-to-box player,” Materazzi added. “I don’t understand how United sold him for nothing because his value, for me, is £60-70m or more and they sold him for just £26m. I don’t know. Is that one of the biggest transfer mistakes we’ve ever seen? I think so, absolutely. Can Scott McTominay win the Ballon d’Or some day? It’s a nice idea because I love him as a player. But I don’t think he will be champion in the World Cup with Scotland and it’s not easy when you don’t win the biggest trophies.”

Napoli’s gain is United’s loss

Under Conte’s guidance, McTominay has evolved into a prolific goal-scoring threat, with his 13-goal tally last term earning him a shock Ballon d’Or nomination. This resurgence has intensified criticism of

McTominay speaks on his future

Despite persistent transfer links, McTominay has

Expressing his long-term vision, he added: “I could see myself in Napoli for a long time. I love this place... my family is happy and I’m happy.”