What Man Utd would lose by selling Scott McTominay: Five factors to make Ten Hag think twice

For most of the summer, Scott McTominay’s Manchester United future has been the subject of speculation.

The Scottish midfielder is entering the final year of his contract and has been linked with moves to several clubs at home and abroad in recent weeks, from Galatasaray to Napoli to Fulham.

The latter’s move for Burnley’s Sander Berge – a rumoured United target – appears to have ended their interest in McTominay, with the Craven Cottage side refusing to meet the Red Devils’ reported £30 million asking price.

But the Italian media continue to connect the Carrington academy graduate with Napoli. The club’s new manager, Antonio Conte, is believed to be a big admirer of McTominay.

Meanwhile, United are pursuing a deal for Manuel Ugarte, with the 20-time champions having identified the Paris Saint-Germain ball-winner as their priority target for defensive-midfield reinforcement.

While it had previously been thought that United’s ability to move for Ugarte was directly connected to their need to sell McTominay amid concerns over complying with the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability Rules, a report from The Guardian claims that is not the case.

Manager Erik ten Hag is said to be a huge McTominay believer and is reluctant to part with him, yet the club reportedly remain open to offers the towering 27-year-old.

So if McTominay does leave Old Trafford before the transfer window closes, what will United lose?

Goals

With 10 goals in all competitions, McTominay was United’s third-highest scorer last season. Only Rasmus Hojlund (16), a natural striker, and Bruno Fernandes (15), whose total was augmented by six successful penalties, outscored the 52-cap Scotland international.

McTominay ranked in the 96th percentile among Premier League midfielders last season for non-penalty goals per 90 minutes (0.33).

He also ranked in the 94th percentile for expected goals per 90 (0.27) and the 87th percentile for total shots per 90 (2.08). He was in the 73rd percentile for touches in the opponent’s penalty area, too, with 2.51 per 90 minutes.

A relatively new wrinkle to his game, these underlying statistics prove McTominay’s career-best scoring return was no fluke; he proved himself to be a consistent generator and finisher of scoring chances.

Height

It might seem like a piece of meaningless trivia on the surface that McTominay, standing an imposing 6ft 4ins, is the tallest player – along with new signing Joshua Zirkzee – in the United squad. But his aerial presence would be a great loss for Ten Hag’s side as they are currently constructed.

The additions of Leny Yoro and Matthijs De Ligt have bolstered the physicality of United’s backline, but McTominay’s height is an asset for Ten Hag’s midfield in both attacking and defensive situations.

Four of his seven Premier League goals last term were nodded into the net, while he boasted an impressive average of 1.7 successful aerial duels per 90, which ranked in the 90th percentile among midfielders in England’s top flight.

By way of comparison, Kobbie Mainoo, who stands around 6ft, won 0.89 aerials per 90 (63rd percentile) and Fernandes, at 5ft 10, won 0.61 (62nd percentile). Only Casemiro (1.91 aerials won per 90 – 92nd percentile) posted comparable numbers to McTominay in this regard.

Plug in and play

McTominay carved out a niche for himself within Ten Hag’s squad last season as an adept scorer from an advanced midfield position.

But that is not the only role in which McTominay can operate. He initially broke into the United first team in a deep role, providing that aforementioned physicality along with tactical discipline and a conservative use of possession to act as a defensive midfielder.

And he has the stamina and athleticism to play as a No.8 in a box-to-box role.

McTominay might be lacking as a creator and limited as a passer, but he has several potential uses for United, with a track record of performing within multiple roles in high-stakes games.

Cost control

United have encountered major issues in recent years relating to the enormous salaries they have doled out to players who subsequently became surplus to requirements.

Weekly wages in excess of £300,000 have, for example, seen them unable to find suitors as yet this summer for Jadon Sancho and Casemiro, two players they were reportedly keen to sell in order to reduce their wage bill and open up squad places for new arrivals.

And with the Red Devils walking a PSR tightrope as they begin their new era under co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe, the hefty contracts handed out by the previous Glazer-led regime are proving troublesome.

McTominay, on the other hand, earning a comparatively modest £60,000 per week, is one of few current United players providing genuine value for money considering his output and versatility.

Man for big moments

McTominay’s primary value to United last season was not simply that he scored an impressive number of goals. It was equally a matter of when he scored.

Four of his seven league goals came after he’d come off the bench as a substitute, including two last-gasp strikes against Brentford in October to turn a 1-0 deficit into a 2-1 win. McTominay has scored 12 match-winning goals in his United career and his goals directly contributed to more points than any other United player in 2023-23.

He affects the biggest games, too. He scored both goals in a 2-1 victory over Chelsea last season; another in an away win over top-four-chasing Aston Villa. He scored and assisted in United’s dramatic 3-2 FA Cup quarter-final defeat of Liverpool and he notched again against Coventry City in the semi-final at Wembley.

When big moments arrive, big Scott McTominay often meets them.

GO FURTHER: Every player linked with a Man Utd exit this summer as Ratcliffe cull continues