Manchester United transfer news: 'One of the worst sales in history' - Materazzi slams United decision

Since Michael Carrick replaced Ruben Amorim, Manchester United appear to have finally found their footing and are pushing hard for a Champions League place. For Marco Materazzi, however, the Red Devils made a serious error in the transfer market.

Speaking to Hajper, the former Internazionale centre-back argued that Manchester United may come to deeply regret offloading Scott McTominay at the start of the 2024-25 season. Over the past two campaigns, the Scottish midfielder has been one of the standout performers at Antonio Conte's Napoli.

Materazzi labels McTominay sale 'one of the biggest transfer mistakes ever'

"He is an incredible box-to-box player. I don't understand how United sold him for nothing because his value, for me, is £60-70m or more — and they sold him for just £26m. I don't know. Is that one of the biggest transfer mistakes we've ever seen? I think so, absolutely," said Materazzi.

Napoli paid around £26m to prise McTominay away from Old Trafford, with United at the time citing Profit and Sustainability Rules as the reason for accepting such a modest fee.

McTominay made his United debut in 2017 and went on to make 255 appearances for the club, scoring 29 goals and registering eight assists, winning both the FA Cup and the Carabao Cup along the way. At 29, the Scot is enjoying the best football of his career in the south of Italy, earning a Ballon d'Or nomination in the process.

Bit-part player at United, key figure at Napoli

While he often found himself in and out of the side in the Premier League, McTominay quickly established himself as a regular starter in Serie A. The impact was immediate. He played a central role in Napoli's Scudetto triumph in his debut season, scoring in the title-clinching match.

Conte has explained that the consistency and trust placed in McTominay allowed him to flourish at Napoli, describing the midfielder as a "complete player" thanks to his "hard work" and accumulated "experience."

Materazzi, meanwhile, insists United gave away a home-grown talent and reveals his admiration for the player goes back years. "I love Scott McTominay. I love him so much. When he broke through at Manchester United as a youngster I laughed because I said to my son that even at 18 or 19 this is a player who will go on to be one of the best players in the world, and now he is one of the best," the 52-year-old said.

Despite persistent transfer speculation, McTominay has made clear he is happy at Napoli, who currently sit second in Serie A. The second-top scorer in the Azzurri's league campaign, the midfielder is Scotland's greatest hope of a strong showing at the 2026 World Cup, where they have been drawn in Group C alongside Brazil, Morocco and Haiti.