Newcastle United have reportedly ‘gatecrashed’ Manchester United’s move for Napoli star Scott McTominay, but the reality is very different.

McTominayhas spent the last two seasons at Napoli and has established himself as a firm fans’ favourite for the Serie A giants.

Man Utdcashed in on the Scotland international for around ￡30m during the 2024 summer transfer window, but he has taken his game to another level at Napoli and helped them win the Serie A title last season.

McTominay always performed better for Man Utd in an advanced role and he has benefitted from having the freedom to attack for Napoli, grabbing 24 goal involvements in his 57 Serie A outings.

The 29-year-old is clearly loving life in Napoli and they will no doubt be desperate to keep him, though they should not be too concerned at reports linking him with a return to the Premier League.

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In recent weeks, McTominay has been heavily linked with a move back to Man Utd, while a new report from SportsBoomclaims Newcastle are ‘rivalling’ the Red Devils and have ‘gatecrashed’ their ‘shock swoop’ to re-sign him.

The report notes that McTominay could cost around ￡60-70m in the summer, with a source for the outlet saying: “Newcastle have asked the question and they’re seriously considering their options. They like what McTominay would bring.”

They added: “There’s definitely Premier League interest building. It wouldn’t take much for this to become a very competitive situation.”

It is easy to make sense of this update, with it reported elsewhere that McTominay and his representatives are currently in talks with Napoli over a contract extension.

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While contract renewal talks are taking place between a player and their current club, it is pretty standard practise for an agent to drip-feed information to reporters and rival clubs, hinting that a transfer is possible when it is not usually what anyone involved wants.

Instead, this transfer speculation and potential interest from other clubs is used by the player and agent as a bargaining chip to get the best contract possible.

The game’s the game and do not be surprised to hear of a contract extension for McTominay in the coming weeks, especially after Fabrizio Romano’s update this week.

Romano said: “On Scott McTominay, at the moment my understanding is that Napoli are in contact with McTominay’s camp to sign a new contract. So Napoli in the next month want to try to reach an agreement, to reward him with a better salary.

“We know McTominay did not just well, but fantastic at Napoli, especially in the first season. And this season when he’s been fit, he’s always been great. For sure one of the best players in Serie A, if not the best, and doing fantastic.

“But at the moment Napoli are completely focused on this contract extension. So I’m not aware of anything advanced with Man United. Man United have a list with several midfielders, but the decision will be made later on.”

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