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Manchester United have been linked with selling numerous players to raise funds, but one looks set to stay.

For clubs looking to raise funds in 2024/25, the best solution is to sell an academy player, just like Manchester United’s sale of Mason Greenwood.

Another one who has been linked away is Scott McTominay, however, manager Erik ten Hag is not in support of this notion.

Ten Hag wants to keep McTominay, describing the midfielder as an ‘interesting player’, via The Athletic.

McTominay an impact player

You won’t find a Manchester United supporter who places Scott McTominay in their ‘dream XIs’ of how the team could or should look.

Yet many fans would agree that McTominay has an important role as a squad player, and last season scored his career-best 10 goals for the team.

Ten Hag explained: “We want to actually keep him because he’s a very important player for our squad.

“We’ve seen what he can contribute last season. When we had the sixes and he could play in a more advanced role, he’s a highly interesting player for our team.”

McTominay scored many of his goals as a substitute last season, demonstrating how the variety he brings to the team can pose a challenge for the opposition.

Tactical change in 2024/25

Scott McTominay did another thing in 2023/24 he was not chosen to do in the 2022/23 season; he was selected to start the FA Cup Final.

He was not chosen as one of the two holding midfielders, nor was he selected at the expensive of attacking midfielder Bruno Fernandes.

Instead, McTominay was selected with Fernandes as one of two ‘false nines’, while still fitting in wide players Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho.

This tactical experiment was also used in the final two Premier League games of the season, and did come at the expense of striker Rasmus Hojlund, deployed as a substitute.

While this may not happen on a regular basis, it’s clearly an added tactical approach Ten Hag likes, demonstrated by his signing of Joshua Zirkzee, a striker in the ‘false nine’ mould.

McTominay won’t be a weekly starter, whichever system United use, but he is part of the puzzle, part of Ten Hag’s solution.

Ten Hag’s description of the midfielder as a ‘highly interesting player’ reinforces the fact he believes he can continue using him effectively, and will continue to mix up his tactics at the club next season and further develop how the team ended 2023/24.

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