Rio Ferdinand SLAMS Man United for agreeing to sell 'huge player' Scott McTominay as he claims the Scot's £26m transfer to Napoli 'doesn't sit well'

Rio Ferdinand has hit out at Manchester United for selling Scott McTominay ahead of the midfielder's £26million move to Napoli.

McTominay is on the verge of leaving his boyhood club after United agreed a fee for the midfielder as they look to bring in PSG's Manuel Ugarte.

The 27-year-old has spent his entire club career to date at Old Trafford, having first become involved with the United youth system aged just five, and is part of their 'homegrown' pool of players.

Mail Sport understands that Napoli will pay a transfer fee in the region of £26m for McTominay, who has featured as a substitute in all of United's games so far this season, most recently in the 2-1 weekend defeat by Brighton.

But the move has been criticised by United legend Ferdinand, who said the transfer 'does not sit well'.

Having been handed his first-team debut during Jose Mourinho's managerial reign at United, McTominay has gone on to become a trusted midfield asset under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Erik ten Hag.

Despite being more often used as a substitute, Ferdinand believes the Scotland international is the type of squad member United need to win the Premier League. 

Speaking on his Rio Presents show, Ferdinand said: 'I look at Scott McTominay and like not every player can be a star standout player or a franchise player. 

'I always say this, to win the league you need the likes of a John O'Shea, a Wes Brown, Darren Fletcher, Chicharito, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer from when we were at United. 

'Or you need the likes of Alvarez when he was at City who can come in, like last season Jeremy Doku was coming in and impacting games even though not necessarily always starting all the games.

'Those players are huge, you need those players and they understand the DNA especially the ones who come through the academy, Man United have always stood by that. 

'It really doesn't sit well with me, to replace him you are going to have to spend, 30, 40, £50m and it's not going to be cheap to replace him. 

'It's a gamble, you don't what you're going to get with that next player, whereas with him you know what you're getting, it's on the tin, he turns up when he's playing, might not always be an eight or nine out of ten but he is a good seven and every know and then he will be an eight and get you a goal.' 

Selling McTominay should see United free up space and funds to support their pursuit of Ugarte, who is desperate to leave PSG for Old Trafford.

Ugarte is on the verge of joining in a deal worth £51m as United look to add depth to their midfield.

McTominay has also become a cult hero within large sections of the fanbase. He scored twice in stoppage time after coming off the bench to help United beat Brentford 2-1 last season but his most memorable moment in the red shirt arguably came when his long-range effort sealed victory over Manchester City in March 2020.