In recent years, several Manchester United players have left Old Trafford and found success elsewhere, with Scott McTominay being a notable example.
The Scotland international moved to Italy in the summer of 2024 and quickly secured his spot in the Napoli lineup.
During his first season, he contributed to their Serie A victory, earning accolades as the league’s Player of the Season and MVP.
Now, after two successful seasons and a Supercopa Italiana title, his £25.7 million transfer fee appears to be a steal for Antonio Conte’s team.
In his last season at Manchester United, McTominay had his best performance, scoring ten goals in 43 matches. The following year at Napoli, he scored 13 goals in just 36 games.
With Rasmus Hojlund also excelling at Napoli on loan and Marcus Rashford finding new life at Barcelona, there seems to be a trend of players improving after leaving Old Trafford.
Discussing the idea of players getting better after moving on, McTominay told CBS Sports Golazo: “I disagree. It’s too easy of an excuse. I think it’s too easy to say that.”
He added, “During my time there, they supported me with everything—tactics, training, nutrition. Everything is in place for you to succeed.”
“It’s a myth that they don’t provide certain things that other clubs do. The attention can make it seem worse. In my last year, I scored ten goals, and we won a trophy.”
Although he had a successful final season at United, it doesn’t diminish his achievements in Italy. Other players have had similar experiences. Romelu Lukaku, after an inconsistent spell at United, moved to Inter Milan in 2019 and scored 23 goals in 36 games, adding 24 goals the next year.
Angel Di Maria also struggled at United but thrived at PSG, becoming the club’s all-time assist leader with 112 assists and 92 goals in 295 matches.
While it’s true these players have excelled after leaving Manchester United, they also performed well outside the Premier League, raising questions about whether it’s more about their fit in other leagues than any shortcomings at Manchester United.