Gary Lineker questions Premier League rule after issue that hit Man United

Scott McTominay drew plenty of attention during the November international break after playing a key role in Scotland’s successful World Cup qualifying campaign.

Scotland sealed their spot at the 2026 World Cup with a 4-2 win over 10-man Denmark in Group C, and it was McTominay who gave them the early lead with an overhead kick at Hampden Park.

The former Manchester United midfielder opened the scoring with a spectacular overhead kick at Hampden Park, setting the tone for what would be another memorable night for Steve Clarke’s team.

Speaking on The Rest Is Football, Lineker claimed McTominay’s departure from Old Trafford was not down to his ability, but rather a result of financial regulations impacting club decisions.

“What a spell he’s having in his career.

“You know, he goes from Manchester United, probably his club that he played for since a boy.

“And then he was probably, I mean, surely they must have seen the talent that he had?

“But I suspect he was sold because of the PSR rules and you get, you know, a bigger advantage because he’s a homegrown lad, which strikes me as absolutely wrong,” he concluded.

PSR rules meant Manchester United were able to benefit from Scott McTominay’s move to Napoli

McTominay’s future at Old Trafford looked decided in 2024, following the club’s £50.5m signing of Manuel Ugarte from Paris Saint-Germain.

Even though Erik ten Hag was a fan of his, McTominay was always going to see less game time once Ugarte came in.

After that, Napoli paid £25.7m for the midfielder, who had spent his entire career at Old Trafford up until that point. The move made sense for both sides.

Because he came through the academy, the sale registered as pure profit for Manchester United under the PSR rules.

McTominay has gone on to make a real impact in Serie A under Antonio Conte and even helped Napoli win the league title in his first year with the club.