Scott McTominay’s Unbelievable Man Utd Return Deemed Unlikely As Wes Brown Compares Him To Lampard

Scott McTominay’s Unbelievable Man Utd Return Deemed Unlikely As Wes Brown Compares Him To Lampard

Scott McTominay has been turning heads at Napoli, transforming from a holding midfielder into a goal-scoring powerhouse, but a return to Manchester United is highly unlikely. The Scotland international, who left Old Trafford in the summer of 2024 for £26 million ($34m), has blossomed in Italy, drawing comparisons to Chelsea legend Frank Lampard.

Former Red Devils defender Wes Brown told GOAL that while McTominay’s progress is remarkable, United are unlikely to pursue a deal to bring him back.

“It would be a lot of money for Man United to get him back. I’m so happy that Scott has gone away and done so well—he’s done better than so well! Would it happen? Probably not,” Brown explained.

McTominay: From Holding Midfielder to Free-Scoring Star

McTominay enjoyed a career-best 13 goals for Napoli last season, helping the Serie A champions clinch the title and earning the MVP award. He also played a pivotal role in guiding Scotland to their first World Cup finals since 1998.

Brown highlighted how McTominay’s new role at Napoli has unlocked his potential:

“He now plays in the right position, which isn’t holding midfielder. He’s got the legs, can go up and down, and gets in the right position to score goals… If he gets into positions, I’m not going to say he is Frank Lampard yet, but he is up there with making the right runs to get a midfielder into a scoring position.”

Brown added that McTominay’s growth was limited at United due to team dynamics, but in Naples, he has flourished:

“Scott is slowly becoming that player, where he knows where to be, the runs to make when defenders are out of position… It will be very interesting. Napoli, after a year or two—even though they all love him—will probably want to sell to get good value for him. You just have to see how it goes.”

Napoli and Beyond

While McTominay’s return to Old Trafford is unlikely in the near future, the midfielder’s trajectory in Serie A has shown what he is capable of when freed from restrictive roles. As Napoli continues to dominate in Italy, McTominay’s development could spark interest from top clubs across Europe—even if Manchester United aren’t among them.