Erik ten Hag reveals the catalyst for his Manchester United departure was a broken ‘promise’ made by selling Scott McTominay to Napoli. ‘I was very embarrassed and disappointed.’
The former manager spoke to The Athletic in a lengthy interview where he covered numerous subjects, including the circumstances surrounding his exit from Old Trafford in October 2024.
He insists the problems had been brewing for a while and reached a head in the summer of 2024 thanks to Italian football.
Ten Hag fury at McTominay sale
“I wouldn’t go on with only one year left,” said Ten Hag of his contract extension in 2024.
“So I said, ‘I need an extra year and we have to do it together’. They promised me loyalty, they promised me backing, they promised communication, that we get aligned. We spoke about the issues. But the promises, they didn’t keep.”
Specifically, the thing that infuriated him the most was the sale of Scotland international and Manchester United youth product McTominay to Napoli for a fee of €30.5m (approximately £25.7m).
“That’s why I got disappointed,” continued Ten Gag.
“In Ibiza, we agreed. I said, ‘No selling Scott McTominay’. We would go aligned in the transfer window. I make an argument, a reason: we don’t have scoring abilities. Scott brings scoring abilities and great mentality. He has United in all his veins.
“So when they bring up the subject, ‘No’. And in the end they sold him. I got, of course, very embarrassed and disappointed.”
McTominay went on to become the Serie A Player of the Year after securing the Scudetto at Napoli, where he was their top scorer with 12 goals and six assists in 34 appearances.
As for Ten Hag, his relationship with Manchester United never recovered, and they parted ways on October 28, 2024.