Newcastle United are reportedly interested in signing 26-year-old Manchester United midfielder Scott McTominay.
Scott McTominay has struggled for regular game time at Manchester United, and a move away would be ideal for him. A report from TEAMtalk has claimed that Newcastle United could explore a January move for the 26-year-old.
Newcastle United midfielder Sandro Tonali faces the prospect of a lengthy ban because of his involvement in an illegal batting scandal. In that case, Newcastle United will have to bring in a replacement during the January transfer window.
McTominay could thus be a quality acquisition for the Tyneside club. The 26-year-old has shown his quality in the Premier League with Manchester United. But he has not been able to hold down a regular starting spot.
If Newcastle United are willing to provide him with game-time assurances, a move to St. James’ Park would be ideal for him. The 26-year-old is at the peak of his powers right now, and he needs to play every week. He has shown his quality during his cameos with Manchester United this season and recently scored a vital brace against Brentford.
Newcastle United could certainly use someone like McTominay, who will add defensive cover and drive to the side. However, he is not a specialist defensive midfielder, and signing him as a replacement for Tonali might not be ideal. Newcastle will hope that the Italian international can return to action soon.
Tonali has formed an impressive partnership with Bruno Guimaraes at the heart of the Newcastle United midfield. Eddie Howe will need both players in top form if the Magpies are to secure Champions League qualification once again and do well in the European competition.
McTominay would be a useful acquisition, but he is more suited to the role of a box-to-box midfielder. He could shoulder the defensive workload of Guimaraes and allow the Brazilian to venture forward with more license and dictate the tempo of the game. Meanwhile, Newcastle are also interested in Andrey Santos and Kalvin Phillips.
It remains to be seen whether Manchester United are prepared to sanction the departure of the 26-year-old midway through the season. They are already lacking in depth in the middle of the park and will need to bring in replacements before they sell players.
