Napoli "aggressively pushing" to repeat Scott McTominay trick and sign £40m Man United star
Napoli are looking to sign yet another Man United player in the January transfer window.
Man United’s transfer business in recent years has been heavily criticised, with several players leaving the club and succeeding after their exits. The most recent example is Marcus Rashford, who has been superb since leaving United to join Barcelona in the summer.
Rasmus Hojlund has joined join Napoli and has so far scored four goals in eight games for the Serie A champions. Hojlund isn’t the first player Napoli have signed from United either, as in 2024, they signed midfielder Scott McTominay, who has transformed since leaving Old Trafford.
In his first season at Napoli, McTominay managed to win the Serie A MVP award and has since scored 17 goals and provided seven assists in 48 games. The Scottish international also managed to get on the nominations list for the Ballon d’Or, a real indicator of how much he has come on since leaving United. It now seems Napoli is looking to repeat the same trick again.
Napoli “aggressively pushing” to sign Mainoo
Kobbie Mainoo has been linked with a move away from United, as he has requested a loan in search of more regular minutes. Man United have been firm on their stance of wanting to keep the 20-year-old, but there has been serious interest from Napoli, who would like to bring him in, much like what they did with McTominay.
According to a fresh report by TeamTalk, Napoli are “aggressively pushing” to sign Mainoo on an initial loan with an option to buy in the January transfer window. It says that internal talks have stepped up at United over who they could replace Mainoo with if he were to leave. That is a change in attitude at United, who were very much against letting the midfielder leave in the summer.
It isn’t understood yet whether United would be willing to agree a buy option in any loan deal for Mainoo, but his current market value is estimated to be around £40m, so United would be expected to demand more than that due to his high potential, aged just 20.
Who could Man United replace Mainoo with?
If Napoli were able to pull off a deal for the 20-year-old, United would likely sign a replacement, and they may bring in a midfielder even if Mainoo stays. One name that has been suggested is Sporting CP’s Morten Hjulmand, who could re-unite with Ruben Amorim at Old Trafford.
Furthermore, Atletico Madrid’s Conor Gallagher has also been mentioned as a potential loanee. However, it is understood that the La Liga club would only let the former Chelsea midfielder leave if it was a permanent deal, so that could cause complications in negotiations with United.
More expensive options include Carlos Baleba at Brighton, Elliot Anderson at Nottingham Forest and Adam Wharton at Crystal Palace, with all three expected to cost upwards of £70m in any potential January deal.