“It’s difficult to replace a player like him” - Nemanja Matic pinpoints Manchester United ‘mistake’ with transfer

Nemanja Matic has told Manchester United that they have made a mistake selling Scott McTominay to Napoli. The Scottish midfielder joined the Serie A giants in a £25.7 million deal and signed a four-year deal at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium.

McTomiinay was teammates with Matic for five years at Old Trafford before leaving for AS Roma in July 2022. The veteran Serbian defensive midfielder was asked about the transfer and raised concerns about his former club's decision to sell (via UtdDistrict):

"My opinion is that (Manchester United) made a mistake by selling Scott McTominay – today, it is difficult to replace a player like him. (Antonio) Conte is (a) smart man."

McTominay, 27, was Erik ten Hag's saviour on several occasions last season, a super sub who won the team many games. He posted 10 goals and three assists in 43 games across competitions, including vital late winners against Aston Villa 2-1 and Brentford 2-1.

Ten Hag spoke earlier in the summer about McTominay and made clear how highly he valued him. The Dutch coach said (via transfer expert Fabrizio Romano):

"If you score 10 goals in a season and perform very well for Scotland there will be interest. We want to actually keep him because he's a very important player for us. We've seen what he can contribute last season."

McTominay will link up with Scotland teammate Billy Gilmour and former Manchester United striker Romelu Lukaku at Napoli. He'll play under ex-Chelsea boss Conte in Naples and may expect regular starting role under the Italian.

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"He is Manchester United in every vein" - Erik ten Hag was sad to see Scott McTominay leave

Ten Hag gave his take on McTominay's exit and the Red Devils boss was in two minds over the transfer. The Dutch tactician was happy the Scot got his move but also highlighted how much the player loves the club (via Manchester United's official website):

"It's a little bit mixed. I'm very happy for him and it's also for us, but it's mixed, because I wouldn't prefer to lose him, because he is Man United in every vein. He was so important for our team, for Manchester United. He was here for over 22 years."

The Red Devils replaced McTominay with the more defensive-minded Manuel Ugarte. The Uruguayan midfielder arrived from Paris Saint-Germain on deadline day in a £51 million deal, including add-ons.

Ugarte, 23, won't play in United's clash with rivals Liverpool at Old Trafford on Sunday (September 1). He wasn't registered in time for the game so Ten Hag will be light of numbers in midfield.