Manchester United weigh McTominay return as Carrick battles early woes

Manchester United have held talks over a sensational deal to re‑sign Scotland international Scott McTominay from Napoli, as the Red Devils struggle with just one win in five Premier League games and have slipped towards the relegation zone this season.

United’s shaky start

The club’s under‑whelming start to the 2026‑27 campaign has surprised many, especially after a strong second half of the previous season under Michael Carrick. One win in five matches underlines the difficulty, and Carrick will look to add a second league victory when United host bottom‑of‑the‑table Tottenham Hotspur at Old Trafford on Saturday.

With the summer transfer window closed on 1 September, United’s focus now rests on the Premier League and the Champions League until January. Fitness concerns linger around Benjamin Sesko, and one of Carrick’s three midfield signings, Carlos Baleba, has yet to make his debut, though the Cameroon international was on the bench against Fulham and could feature against Spurs.

Defensive questions and back‑line options

Defensively, United have shown inconsistency, with Luke Shaw, Harry Maguire and Diogo Dalot all under fire for uneven performances. Club chiefs may postpone a full back‑line overhaul until next summer, but a left‑back addition is not ruled out after recent attempts to sign Lewis Hall and Alejandro Balde.

The Year Man Utd Signed First‑Choice Back Four still haunts the board, and the log of past attempts suggests any new signing will be scrutinised heavily.

Midfield overhaul and McTominay link

United have already refreshed their midfield, bringing in three new players alongside Kobbie Mainoo, and also securing Youri Tielemans, who is the same age as the 29‑year‑old McTominay. journalist Sacha Tavolieri reported that United made an enquiry for McTominay during the summer window, with Aston Villa also interested.

The Scot’s agent is said to be maintaining close relationships with several Premier League clubs, holding preliminary discussions about a return to English football. McTominay has just over 18 months left on his contract with Serie A champions Napoli and is valued at up to £25 million.

During his time in Naples, McTominay helped the club win the Scudetto in his first season and was voted Serie A’s most valuable player. A minor heart‑issue surgery kept him out for most of the 2025‑26 campaign, yet Gordon Strachan described him as a “god‑like” figure in Sorrento, saying, “I was in Sorrento recently and that man is now a god and he did it himself.”

Reporting background

James joined Football FanCast in 2016 after a three‑year spell at Shoot Magazine, climbing from freelance writer to editor before moving to GMS in 2020. He has built strong working relationships with top‑tier journalists such as Fabrizio Romano, Dharmesh Sheth and Ben Jacobs, regularly chatting with them as part of an exclusives initiative.

Like many exclusive projects, the thread of communication is logged meticulously. Here the journalist will show how the story developed, I’m grateful for the insight, and will give readers a clear picture of the transfer saga.

While United have three new midfielders in place, the question remains whether adding another central midfielder who turns 30 in December is prudent, especially when the squad already includes Tielemans. The club must decide if pursuing McTominay now outweighs the risk of further squad disruption.