Man United slammed over 'staggering' Scott McTominay sale as ex-Scotland star admits he was left 'flabbergasted' over midfielder's misuse

The Lancaster-born midfielder was associated with United in some capacity from the age of five. Jose Mourinho helped to oversee his senior breakthrough at Old Trafford, with 255 competitive appearances eventually being taken in for Premier League heavyweights.

McTominay struggled to truly convince those in the dugout that he could be a key cog in an engine that continued to stall at times. He was deemed surplus to requirements when Serie A giants came calling.

Title glory was savoured at the end of his debut campaign in Naples, before making history as the first Scot to be named Serie A Player of the Year. McTominay also finished 18th in the 2025 Ballon d’Or poll and is now being lined up for a new contract - as speculation regarding a bigger money transfer begins to rage.

A return to British football has been mooted and when asked if that would appeal to McTominay at 29 years of age, Gray - speaking in association with BetSelect.co.uk - told GOAL: “I mean, why would you want to leave after the year he's had? It's been magnificent. Never doubted him. I couldn't work out, A, why he never played for Man United more often, and, B, why they sold him. I was flabbergasted at those two things.

“He never let them down. Every time he played, he either scored or contributed or created. He was terrific, he is a terrific footballer, as we are seeing now, and he's being recognised now. And I'm so pleased for the lad, and I'm so pleased for Scotland as well. He's had a brilliant season.

“Am I surprised? Probably the level he got to, Player of the Year in Italy, that's a pretty big accolade in your first season. So you can be very, very proud of that. They won't want you to let them go, not a cat in hell’s chance. They want him to stay.

“If I was him, unless a huge club comes in, and I mean a huge club, why would you leave? He's 29. If you're having a good life in Italy, and the family are happy, a lot of that is dependent on that as well, of course, because you don't know. But if all the factors are good, and you're happy, and you can't find fault with anything, where you're living, the lifestyle, the football, if they're all big ticks, then I think he'll stay.

“But, you know, it depends on him. He might say, ‘yeah, you know what, I'd like to go back, have another couple of years, my last couple of years at a big club, back in the Premier League’. I don't know. But I don't see why he'd want to leave. I really don't.”

Part of the problem for United is that they never appeared to determine what McTominay’s best role is. He is thriving as an attack-minded No.10 at Napoli, with it clear that he is not the holding midfielder that the Red Devils often viewed him as.

Gray added: “Clearly isn't! And that's for Scotland as well. We've seen that for Scotland for a lot longer than Manchester United saw it. I could never work it out. As I said, he was always on. Every time, even when he'd come on as a sub, he'd either have two or three chances, or he'd get a goal. And then the next week, they'd leave him out again. And I just think to myself, what are you doing? How can you leave out somebody like this?

“And the way he goes about the pitch, gets all over it, goes from back to front. But he's like a 10 now, isn't he? He's not a 6 or an 8. He's a 10. He likes to get forward. He loves to score goals. He likes to get in the last third and have a shot or create. And United, just for whatever reason, certain managers, consecutive managers, didn't seem to recognise that at all, which amazed me.

“I was amazed when he left, I have to say. They said ‘we'll sell you’. I was staggered. But then, a lot of decisions United have made in the last few years have staggered lots of people!”

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