West Ham told they ‘definitely’ should have signed £40m Man Utd star Ten Hag won’t start

Harry Watkinson
Exit-linked Man Utd midfielder Scott McTominay
Exit-linked Man Utd midfielder Scott McTominay

Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand has claimed that West Ham United should have signed Red Devils midfielder Scott McTominay.

On the whole, the Hammers enjoyed a good transfer window, bringing in the likes of James Ward-Prowse, Edson Alvarez and Mohammed Kudus after Declan Rice was sold to Arsenal for £105m.

They did miss out on some targets, though, such as Man Utd defender Harry Maguire and Paris Saint-Germain striker Hugo Ekitike.

McTominay was also heavily linked with West Ham for the entirety of the summer window, but the Hammers were unable to reach an agreement with Man Utd.

The 26-year-old has gradually fallen down the pecking order under Erik ten Hag. Mason Mount, Christian Eriksen, Casemiro and now Sofyan Amrabat are all preferred by the manager.

McTominay made just 10 starts in the Premier League for Man Utd last season, and has played just seven minutes of football so far this term.

He can certainly be a top player on his day, though, as evidenced by his recent performances for Scotland. The midfielder has scored six goals in five games in the Euro 2024 qualifiers, helping fire the Scots to the top of their group.

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According to Ferdinand, West Ham have missed out by not sealing a deal for McTominay, saying that he would have signed the £40m-rated man if he were in charge at the London Stadium.

“If I was West Ham I would’ve bought him, definitely. McTominay is another one who is interesting, he doesn’t play for Man United but plays for his national team,” Ferdinand told FIVE.

“The depth isn’t the same, he’s proven his worth when he’s in there and he’s doing well for Scotland, [England’s friendly against Scotland on Tuesday] will be a tough game for us I think, I think we’ll win.”

In fairness to David Moyes and West Ham, Ward-Prowse and Alvarez are certainly two excellent alternatives to McTominay.

It’s thought that Man Utd will look to move McTominay on when the transfer window re-opens in January, so it will be interesting to see if West Ham make another attempt to sign the Scotsman.

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