It's all change at Manchester United this summer and while it seemed as if Scott McTominay could have been lost in the shuffle, it now seems it's his midfield partner Fred most likely to be heading for the exit.
United boss Erik ten Hag is in the second phase of his Old Trafford rebuild and he's changing things around in midfield. Casemiro and Christian Eriksen arrived last summer and became key men and he's added Chelsea playmaker Mason Mount to an increasingly stacked deck in the middle of the pitch.
The burgeoning list of options is likely to lead to some casualties and it had been widely expected that McTominay, who started just ten league games last season, could be on his way. The Scotland star has been subject of links with West Ham and Newcastle among others and is believed to be open to a move away to get his career motoring again.
McTominay often competed with Fred for minutes last season but Mount's arrival, joining Eriksen, Bruno Fernandes and Casemiro among others in that position, means there is likely only room for one of them in the Old Trafford squad next season. And until now, Ten Hag had been keen to keep hold of Fred, who started more often and registered more minutes than McTominay last season.
The Brazilian though has recently changed agents, often a sign that a move is in the offing, and that comes amid firm links with Fulham. And with that potential deal in the offing, The Mirror report that Ten Hag's stance has changed, and is now open to facilitating a deal.
It remains to be seen whether that would bode well for McTominay but it would leave him as the only physical midfield presence not named Casemiro available to Ten Hag. And unless Fred's exit preceded another midfield signing, it would be difficult to see United signing off on both players leaving.
Should he choose to leave, though, the Tartan Army hero is expected to have plenty of options. Roma, who have relaunched the careers of Chris Smalling and Tammy Abraham in Serie A, are thought to be keen with a potential reunion with Jose Mourinho on the cards. Should he opt to stay in the Premier League, he could likely take his pick of the European qualifiers with Newcastle, West Ham and Brighton all credited with an interest.
The added incentive for McTominay amid all the drama is the prospect of a starting spot at Euro 2024 in 12 months' time. He's been a key part of Steve Clarke's side who have won four out of four, scoring an incredible five goals in the process, and will want to be playing regularly at club level to maximise his chances of starting come tournament time.
READ NEXT
