Real Madrid News
Scott McTominay open to Mourinho reunion at Real Madrid: ‘If he called, I’d think about it’
Scott McTominay has opened the door to a potential reunion with Jose Mourinho at Real Madrid, admitting that he would consider the opportunity if his former Manchester United manager were to make the call.
The Napoli and Scotland midfielder has a strong personal connection with Mourinho, who handed him his senior debut at Manchester United in 2017.
Almost a decade later, their careers have taken them in very different directions, with Mourinho now in charge at Real Madrid and McTominay establishing himself as an important player in Italy.
Asked by Corriere della Sera (h/t AS) whether he could resist a call from Mourinho regarding a move to Madrid, McTominay did not hesitate.
“If Mourinho called me about Real Madrid, honestly, I’d think about it,” he said.
Mourinho played a defining role in McTominay’s career
McTominay’s relationship with Mourinho goes back to the beginning of his senior career.
The Portuguese coach gave the midfielder his professional debut against Arsenal during the 2016/17 season.
The following campaign, McTominay became increasingly trusted, making 23 appearances as Mourinho began using him in demanding Premier League and Champions League matches.
The biggest indication of the manager’s faith came at the end of that season.
Despite having established senior midfielders such as Nemanja Matix available, Mourinho selected McTominay for his personal Manager’s Player of the Year award.
That recognition meant a lot to McTominay and helped establish the relationship that still exists between the two men.
McTominay is settled at Napoli
Any potential move to Madrid would nevertheless have to overcome a significant obstacle: McTominay remains under contract with Napoli until June 2028.
The Scotland international is also earning around €5.6 million per season, and there is no indication from the information available that Napoli are looking to sell him.
McTominay has developed into an important figure in Naples after leaving Manchester United, giving his career a new direction and proving himself in Serie A.
At 29, he is also entering the prime years of his career, making the possibility of a move to Real Madrid particularly intriguing, even if nothing concrete currently exists.
Real Madrid News
Jose Mourinho was always clear about getting rid of Real Madrid midfielder this summer – report
Real Madrid’s summer transfer window was largely successful, not only in terms of securing key arrivals but also in terms of letting go of players who had no place in the dynamics.
One player who stood out in the second category was Dani Ceballos as the Spanish midfielder was frozen out of Real Madrid’s starting dynamics for several years before his eventual departure.
In the end, the club simply let the player leave as a free agent by accepting a contract termination as they saw the salary space freed as a win compared to his presence.
Mourinho’s clear stance
As confirmed in a recent report by Diario AS, Real Madrid’s new manager Jose Mourinho has no doubt that he did not count on Ceballos for the ongoing season.
Being the straightforward communicator that he is, the Portuguese manager directly informed Ceballos that he did not count on him in any capacity, speaking out loud about a fact that was known as an open secret for a long time.
Having clarity that his situation at the club was not going to change, Ceballos pressed to leave and eventually had his way as the club allowed him to walk out of the front door with no transfer fee.
Times were tense
The Spanish outlet also add that the decision to let the player leave with a contract termination was not easy for Real Madrid to accept, especially given that it is a last resort.
In the negotiations between Ceballos and the Real Madrid hierarchy, there were some moments filled with tension and disagreements.
In fact, there was even an initial exit agreement that was reached which was cancelled in the hope of a better outcome.
Eventually, however, both parties reached a fitting resolution and Real Madrid enabled the player’s departure without any hurdles and Ceballos went on to join Real Betis.
Even that move required the player to take a massive cut on his salary, but the saga worked out well for both clubs as the player. From Real Madrid’s perspective, the space created on the team’s roster was worth its weight in gold.
