As Newcastle United vies for a place in the Champions League, Manchester United has announced it’s asking price for midfielder Scott McTominay.
McTominay is not typically labeled a “goalscoring hero,” but that is precisely what he deserves to be called currently.
During his recent time on international duty, McTominay, the Scottish footballer, netted four goals in two matches, including a brace in a stunning upset against Spain in a Euro 2024 qualifier.
After taking a few games to regain his scoring form at the club level, he scored a crucial goal for Erik ten Hag’s team on Saturday afternoon.
Manchester United, who were vying for a spot in the top four, faced off against Everton at Old Trafford after winning the Carabao Cup.
Although they completely dominated the first half, they couldn’t seem to break the deadlock due to a combination of Jordan Pickford’s goalkeeping, inaccurate finishing, and possibly even some misfortune.
However, Scott McTominay, who demonstrated his world-class finishing ability, scored the game’s only goal after a beautiful play involving Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho.
McTominay’s impressive form, with one goal per game over the last five matches, has attracted interest from other teams such as Newcastle, who are keen to sign him in the summer.
According to theDaily Star,Eddie Howe’s side have been told they must cough up £50 million, in order to take the Old Trafford academy graduate up to the north east.
Although it may appear to be a steep price for a 26-year-old who mostly serves as a squad player for Ten Hag’s team, there are several reasons why it makes sense for Newcastle to pursue Scott McTominay.
As a contender for the Premier League title this season and in the future, Newcastle would not want to bolster the ranks of their Saudi Arabian-owned rivals. Additionally, McTominay’s status as a homegrown British player adds value to the team, even though he has not played for England.
Newcastle needs to balance signing top-tier talent with acquiring domestic talent. Finally, a few years ago, Manchester United wanted to sign Sean Longstaff from Newcastle, but the Magpies demanded a similar price for the midfielder.
However, Longstaff did not have the same level of experience as McTominay and the two teams were not as evenly matched in the table at the time.
Speaking about the Scotland star after the game, Ten Hag said, “Great player, great personality. So happy I have him in my squad – he gives all his energy, never gives up, so it’s great.”
The problem for McTominay is that Casemiro will return to action on Thursday night, in the Europa League, and will be available for next weekend’s league game against Nottingham Forest, after finishing his four game suspension.
Christian Eriksen also returned to action on Saturday, after an injury in which he missed 16 games, knocking McTominay further down the pecking order.