Solskjaer doubles down on Man Utd criticism as he slams transfer decision

Manchester United’s transfer acumen has regularly been criticised and two former Red Devils managers have pointed to one particular bit of business that ranks worse than the rest

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has doubled down on his claim that Manchester United shouldn’t have sold Scott McTominay. The Red Devils academy graduate quit Old Trafford last summer after a successful spell with the club.

Italian giants Napoli sealed a £21m deal for the midfielder and he has gone on to be an inspired signing. McTominay has scored 12 goals in all competitions this season - the best goalscoring season of his career.

That form has been crucial to Napoli’s title charge this term, with Antonio Conte’s men sitting three points clear at the top of Serie A. Solskjaer, McTominay’s former Man United manager, has slammed the decision to sell him, a call that looks even worse given the club’s woeful form this term.

Speaking to the BBC, Solskjaer said: "Scott and Fred together, they were lads you would put your hat on every day to give 100%. How you can sell Scott is beyond me."

It is not the first time that the Norwegian has criticised United’s call to jettison McTominay. Speaking earlier this season, the now Besiktas boss said: “It’s still good to see Bruno Fernandes and Harry (Maguire) doing well.

“And Scotty [Scott McTominay] is doing well at Napoli. I’m upset that we let him go because he was important last season when he kept popping up with goals. His heart and his knowledge of the culture were important.”

Solskjaer is not the only former United manager to publicly criticise the club for selling McTominay. Erik ten Hag also claimed that he didn’t want the midfielder to leave, only to be forced into the decision by PSR.

"I’m very happy for Scott. As I said, when he left, I didn’t want this but that’s the rules the club had to deal with. The rules are, I would even say, bad, but that’s the situation created. It forced us to make this decision," he said.

Elsewhere, Liverpool hero Graeme Souness has also questioned McTominay’s exit, while claiming club chiefs might be looking to bring him back sooner rather than later. Speaking to the Daily Mail, he said: "Oh how Manchester United must regret selling Scott McTominay. He’s a fantastic modern footballer. A high-energy, box-to-box workaholic who chips in with important goals.

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"He was 27 years old and not hurting United with his wages when the club’s ‘decision-makers’ thought it was a bright idea to sell him to Napoli for £25million. They’d gone out and spent £58m on an ageing, 30-year-old Casemiro, and paid him £370,000 a week. And another £42m on Manuel Ugarte. Collective transfer fees of £100m.

"Would someone at United please hold their hand up and say, This was my shout’. Because it’s been an atrocious piece of judgment.

"The perfect example of the mismanagement on an industrial scale at that club since Fergie packed in. McTominay has flourished at Napoli. Maybe United should be asking themselves how much it will cost to get him back."