Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has claimed he would have preferred to keep Scott McTominay rather than sell him to Napoli.
McTominay completed a move to the Italian giants on deadline day, with United willing to pay a fee of £25.4m for the midfielder.
As McTominay came through United’s academy, his sale will count as a valuable net profit when it comes to staying within the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability (PSR) rules.
At a press conference on Friday, shortly before McTomonay’s transfer in Naples it became official, Have Hag he lamented how those rules incentivized the Red Devils to take advantage of a player they ultimately wanted to keep.
“I’m very happy for him, but it’s a case of mixed feelings because I wouldn’t rather lose him,” Ten Hag said.
“It’s Man Utd in everything, he was so important to Man Utd, he was here for over 22 years, but unfortunately those are the rules. Local players bring more value and that’s not the right thing to do, but for everyone, for all parties, it’s a good deal, Scott is happy about it, and Napoli and us.”
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McTominay was one of two Scottish midfielders Napoli brought in towards the end of the window, with Billy Gilmour also joining from Brighton & Hove Albion. The duo were among the key players led by new coach Antonio Conte this summer
While McTominay’s departure was bittersweet, united at least they have bolstered their options with the acquisition of Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Manuel Ugarte.
The Uruguayan completed his move to Old Trafford the following Friday night United reached an agreement with PSG over an initial fee of £42.2m plus a further £8.4m in add-ons.
