Updated: 9 Sept 2026 16:05 BST |
4 min read
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Napoli are growing concerned about Scott McTominay’s long-term future at the club.
The former Manchester United midfielder has been an unqualified success for the Serie A giants since joining in 2024. McTominay was voted Serie A’s MVP after leading Napoli to the Scudetto in his first season, and he continued to impress last term.
The current campaign is already proving much more challenging, however, as the Scotland international will be sidelined for several weeks after being diagnosed with a heart problem.
He successfully underwent surgery on Tuesday and is slated to return to training in two weeks. The 29-year-old’s health is currently the club’s biggest priority, but there could be trouble brewing behind the scenes.
That’s because Napoli have failed to make progress in discussions with McTominay over a new contract in recent months. What looked to be a formality in the spring is now leaving the club increasingly concerned.
Could McTominay leave Napoli?
When Napoli first opened talks with the midfielder’s camp earlier this year, all parties were aligned on continuing together. The club wanted to reward him for his stunning impact, while McTominay was loving life in Italy.
Although there had been speculation over his future as he was attracting attention with his performances, he made it very clear that he wanted to stay at the club for the foreseeable future.
In the months since, the tone has shifted. Whether this is due to his financial demands – he reportedly wants a €3 million raise – or due to the turmoil at the club, which saw Antonio Conte quit and be replaced by Maximiliano Allegri, is not entirely clear.
The fact of the matter is that an extension is no longer guaranteed. “I don’t know, we haven’t discussed it,” McTominay said last week when asked about his Napoli future. “I don’t know yet if I’ll renew.”
Sporting director Giovanni Manna also confirmed that things aren’t proceeding as smoothly as initially hoped. “We’re talking about the renewal. We’ve met,” he explained.
“Scott is an important player, he has two years left on his contract. We want to try to do it, he wants to do it, then we need to make things fit together. It’s not always easy, but we’re trying.”
According to Gazzetta dello Sport, Napoli are worried about a repeat of the Khvicha Kvaratskhelia saga in 2024. The club were keen to improve his contract, but he had his head turned by his suitors and ultimately pushed through a move to PSG in January 2025.
In this context, his recent admission that he would be interested in linking up with Jose Mourinho at Real Madrid is naturally causing unease. “If Mourinho called me to sign for Real Madrid, I would consider it. If that happened, I would think about it,” he told Corriere della Sera.
The legendary Portuguese manager handed McTominay his professional debut at Man Utd at 18 and granted him considerable first-team exposure at a time when, in his words, “nobody at United believed Scott could become the player he is.”
Understandably, a reunion with Mourinho holds appeal, although whether Real Madrid would be interested in signing the 29-year-old is doubtful. After all, they already have an elite box-crashing midfielder in Jude Bellingham.
However, were McTominay to become available, there would be no shortage of interest in his services. He has been linked with Barcelona and various Premier League clubs over the past year.
Contract talks are currently dormant due to his heart problem, but should the situation remain gridlocked, McTominay’s Napoli fairytale could come to a premature end.
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