West Ham United are interested in signing Manchester United midfielder Scott McTominay in the upcoming transfer window.
What’s the latest on Scott McTominay to West Ham?
According to Football Insider, the Hammers, alongside Newcastle United, are monitoring the availability of the out-of-favour 26-year-old.
The report also suggests that McTominay is concerned by his lack of minutes, as he is currently behind Christian Eriksen, Casemiro, Fred, and Marcel Sabitzer in the pecking order.
This outlet previously revealed that the Scotsman is prepared to quit Old Trafford this summer and due to the impending departure of club captain Declan Rice, the London Stadium could be McTominay’s next destination.
Should West Ham sign McTominay?
The 38-cap Scotland international has been at United for over 20 years, having risen through the ranks of the youth academy. He then made his senior debut for the Red Devils in 2017 under Jose Mourinho and has gone on to make 205 appearances in all competitions.
However, Erik ten Hag’s preference for other holding midfielders have seen the 6 foot 4 powerhouse’s minutes become vastly more limited. He has featured on 35 occasions for the Reds, but 19 of those have been from the bench, and he has currently begun more games on the bench (11) than the starting line up (10) in the Premier League this season.
This has led to some internal frustration and has caused the £60k-per-week man to begin assessing his options ahead of a possible move. The Irons have been namedropped as an interested party but it remains to be seen if McTominay is the right fit for David Moyes’ side.
The £26m-rated titan drastically lacks Rice’s ball-playing ability and is largely unable to dictate matches. This is showcased by the fact that McTominay only ranks in the top 45% in Europe’s top five leagues among his positional peers for his pass completion rate and only the top 48% for progressive carries.
Even more damningly, the midfielder languishes in the bottom 7% for progressive passes – a shocking reflection of his tendency to pass either sideways or backwards.
The only categories in which the player excels are his clearances and aerials won, however, the Irons already possess Tomas Soucek, who also dominates those metrics. These two players are similar and having them start together in midfield would arguably shun any creativity.
Outspoken United legend Roy Keane has echoed this feeling about McTominay and has previously described the midfielder as “not good enough.”
The Irons will have to think extremely carefully when considering Rice’s replacement, but McTominay doesn’t seem like the most logical answer.