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The National (Scotland)
The National (Scotland)
Sport
Robbie Hanratty

Why Manchester United want to keep 'very important' Scott McTominay

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has reiterated his commitment to keeping Scott McTominay at the club, dismissing recent transfer rumours surrounding the Scotland international.

The 27-year-old midfielder has recently been linked with an exit from Old Trafford. Galatasaray, Tottenham, and Fulham are among the teams chasing his services, following a failed bid from West Ham United last summer.

Despite the speculation, Ten Hag insists that McTominay remains a vital part of his plans for the upcoming season.

During the 2023/24 campaign, McTominay made 27 starts for United and emerged as one of the team's key contributors, finishing as joint-third highest scorer with 10 goals after transitioning to a more advanced position.

He also played a significant role in Scotland's successful Euro 2024 qualifying campaign, finding the net seven times whilst endearing himself to the Tartan Army.


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Ten Hag highlighted the midfielder's value, stating, “We have very good players so there will always be an interest from other clubs.

“When you score 10 goals in a season and also perform very good for Scotland, then there will be an interest.

“But we want to keep him because he is a very important player for our squad."

The Dutchman credited McTominay's versatility and potential impact, particularly when the team’s midfield options are fully fit.

“What he can contribute, as we saw last season once we had our sixes available, he could play in a more advanced role and he is a highly interesting player for our team,” he added.


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Ten Hag has strengthened his squad this summer by signing 18-year-old French defender Leny Yoro and Dutch striker Joshua Zirkzee from Bologna.

Yoro made his debut in a red jersey during the first half of Saturday’s friendly against Rangers at Murrayfield Stadium. The match ended in a 2-0 win for an experimental United team, thanks to goals from Amad Diallo and Joe Hugill.

This game also marked the return of Jadon Sancho, who had previously faced issues with Ten Hag last season.

The Red Devils boss is optimistic about Yoro’s potential, with reports suggesting he was signed for over £50 million.

“For the first time, with only one training session, it was a very mature performance,” he said of the teenager’s display in Edinburgh.

“That’s the way we saw him when we scouted him. It’s great to have him and he’s very young for a centre-back.

“There is a lot to come but you can see already that he has great potential. He is here and we think he can play but there are so many games to come and he will be in a group of four or five (centre-backs).”


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Nonetheless, Ten Hag expressed his satisfaction with the club's summer activities this far. 

“We want to have a strong squad, as strong as possible and I think at this moment the football leadership is on the front foot,” he explained.

“That’s what clubs like Man United should do and so we are very pleased that we have done business.

“We have Yoro in, we have Zirkzee in, we have two highly big assets with big potential for the future. But when I say future, the future starts today.”

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