Tottenham told Napoli’s stance on agreeing deal for ‘unbelievable’ player in January
Napoli are set to make a January deal very difficult for Tottenham as they aim to sign their star midfielder Scott McTominay midway through the season.
Scott McTominay has been a revelation at Napoli since he left Man United for the Italian giants in the summer of 2024.
The Scot helped Antonio Conte’s side to the Serie A title last season, as he also won the league’s Most Valuable Player award for his standout performances.
Tottenham have registered their interest in McTominay as Thomas Frank targets midfield additions in the new year to bolster their chances of a Champions League spot.
As I revealed on the latest edition of Football Insider’s Inside Track podcast, Napoli are desperate to keep the 28-year-old and Spurs seem unlikely to sign him in the January window.
Scott McTominay set to stay at Napoli for the rest of the season
Football Insider revealed on 1 November that Napoli will demand a “huge” fee for McTominay from an interested club, considering his importance to the team and contract length.
The midfielder’s stock has risen even further in the last week after his outstanding overhead kick helped Scotland qualify for the 2026 World Cup with a 4-2 win over Denmark.
Speaking on the Inside Track podcast, I explained: “I don’t see any move (away from Napoli for McTominay) in January, and in all honestly, I think it’ll be very difficult to prise him away from Napoli.
“He’s a key man for Antonio Conte’s side, he proved that last season with 12 goals as he was named MVP in Serie A.
“His transformation has been unbelievable since he left Manchester United. He now looks like a huge loss to United, and a lot of people will be questioning why they let him go.
“I think his price tag’s probably gone up after that unbelievable overhead kick against Denmark in midweek as well.
“He’s got goals in him, McTominay, there’s no doubts about that, he’s got four goals and one assist for Napoli this season, and Tottenham we know are looking for more dynamism in their midfield and to add more goals as well.
“So you can see why he would tick a lot of boxes, but it seems a real tall order, I think, for Tottenham to prise McTominay away midway through the season. It’ll be interesting to see what happens in the summer.”
Tottenham targeting Maghnes Akliouche as attacking additions planned
Tottenham have started the season relatively well under Frank, but fans have reservations around the cautious style of play that has been on show so far.
Xavi Simons has not lived up to his billing as yet, and with McTominay unlikely to join, Football Insider have revealed that Tottenham want to accelerate a move for Maghnes Akliouche from AS Monaco.
The 23-year-old playmaker scored his first goal for the senior France team last week, while he has registered three goals and assists each in 15 appearances for Monaco so far this season.
Tottenham were first mooted with interest in Akliouche back in August, and it is believed that an offer of over £47 million would be enough to make him theirs soon.