Latest reports from the Sun suggest that Leeds United are in the mix to sign Manchester United midfielder Scott McTominay on loan in January. It’s reported that the 21-year-old has drawn a lot of interest from quite a few clubs and Aston Villa are also said to be in the mix to sign him. McTominay is predominantly a midfielder but has featured in defence and therefore that could be one of the major reasons why Marcelo Bielsa could look to bring him on loan.
Sources from the Old Trafford said,”Scott is wanted by a number of clubs and there are offers on the table already. The club are not totally against the idea of him going. There was a lot of interest in him in the summer. Jose is a big fan of his despite what might be perceived with his comments about his confidence being knocked. He still has a future here but the thought is more football could help toughen him up and get him away from the spotlight.”
Mourinho recently criticised McTominay for his performance against Newcastle United where the Mancunian giants went 2-0 down inside the first 15 minutes. However, an inspired performance in the second half saw them come home with all three points as they secured a 3-2 win.
After the game Mourinho had said, ”Maybe it was my wrong decision to Marcus Rashford and Scott McTominay. They were not ready for this level of pressure that the man-hunting is bringing.”
The 21-year-old was substituted at halftime. However, to be fair to McTominay, he was hard done by constant chopping and changing in his positions. The Scotsman started as a midfielder and after being 2-0 down, Mourinho substituted Eric Bailly to bring on Juan Mata to chase the game. McTominay was therefore pushed in the backline and was substituted later.
Some reports earlier suggested that Bielsa had identified ‘centre-back’ as one of the positions where he wants to solidify and it is likely that McTominay would be used as a defender if he makes a loan switch to Elland Road. McTominay is a product of the Manchester United academy and he joined the club’s youth system in 2002 and started slowly going up the ranks. The 21-year-old has also become a Scotland international and moving away from Old Trafford would be important for his overall development as he is unlikely to get a regular run of games there.
The 21-year-old stands at 6ft 4inches tall and looks assured and comfortable on the ball. His ability to play out from the back could be one of the reasons why the Whites have shown an interest in him and his physicality would also make it hard for opposition forwards to bully him off the ball. If the club manages to pull off this signing, it could be a good piece of business which would improve the club’s promotion chances.
