Manchester United's Scott McTominay celebrates scoring their fourth goal
Newcastle United have been dealt a blow in their pursuit of Scott McTominay, with Manchester United unwilling to sell the midfielder in January, according to The Athletic.
The Lowdown: Newcastle pursuing McTominay
Newcastle are said to be long-term admirers of the Scotland international, with 90min reporting last August that they were keeping tabs on the midfielder for a potential move, and this interest has not gone away.
Sky Sports reporter Keith Downie recently told GIVEMESPORT that the Magpies had made an enquiry about the 26-year-old earlier this month, and the player himself is believed to be open to the move, amid reports that he is concerned about his game-time at Old Trafford, having started only seven times in the current Premier League campaign.
The Latest: McTominay not for sale
According to The Athletic reporter Laurie Whitwell, Eddie Howe is searching for a new midfielder to add to Newcastle’s squad, and he admires the athleticism and ball-carrying ability of the Manchester United ace.
However, Erik ten Hag is believed to consider the Scot a key part of his squad and is unwilling to sell him this month, so any deal for McTominay looks like it will have to wait until the summer.
The Verdict: Blow for Newcastle
The 36-cap Scotland international has not always had the easiest of times at Old Trafford, with Roy Keane criticising him as ‘not good enough’ on Sky Sports, although he has recently started to put in some much-improved performances for the Red Devils.
While United fell to a disappointing 3-2 defeat against Arsenal on Sunday, McTominay looked very impressive, making nine clearances to try and keep the league leaders at bay while winning six of the seven duels that he contested.
Lauded as ‘immense‘ by Bill Rice in 2021, the 26-year-old is also imposing in the air, using his 6 foot 4 frame to his advantage by winning 2.55 aerial duels per 90 in the past year, a figure which puts him in the 93rd percentile compared to other midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues.
Howe will be disappointed that he will be seemingly unable to sign the midfielder in January, but the Newcastle manager will be hoping that he has a renewed opportunity to bring him to St James’ Park at the end of the season.
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