Former Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has said the club's £25 million sale of Scott McTominay to Napoli left him 'very embarrassed and disappointed'. The Scotland international's transfer in 2024 has been highlighted as Ten Hag claims United's hierarchy broke a promise made to him regarding the midfielder's future.

Ten Hag stated that a specific agreement was reached during a meeting in Ibiza. "In Ibiza, we agreed. I said, ‘No selling Scott McTominay’," the former United boss said. He suggested the sale was driven by Financial Fair Play considerations, as the transfer of a homegrown player represented pure accounting profit for the club. Ten Hag added that the decision was made without his input after he had left the club, and he only learned of the deal when it was announced publicly.

The 28-year-old academy graduate had become a vital figure for Scotland before his move to Serie A. His departure from the Premier League came during a critical period for the national team's World Cup qualifying efforts. Scotland's form has been mixed recently, with their last four results showing one win, one draw, and two defeats. In that match, Ryan Christie scored in the 31st minute before Slovenia turned the game around. This defeat followed a 0-0 draw in Slovenia and a heavy 0-3 home defeat to Switzerland on 29 September.

Steve Clarke's side will look to get back on track when they host FYR Macedonia on Saturday 14 November. The team's recent 2-0 away win against the same opponents on 3 October, with a seventh-minute goal from Kieron Bowie and a 69th-minute penalty from John McGinn, shows they have the capability to secure a positive result. McTominay's experience and physical presence in midfield will be counted on as Scotland aims to solidify its World Cup push in the coming matches. The midfielder has started all but one of Napoli's league games since his arrival, helping the Italian club climb to fourth in the Serie A standings. The upcoming home match against FYR Macedonia provides a key opportunity to build on that previous victory and improve upon a recent form line of one win, one draw, and two losses from the last four qualifiers.

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