Real Madrid have made contact with the representatives of Scott McTominay as the club explores a potential summer move for the Napoli midfielder, according to a report from Fichajes. No formal bid has landed on Napoli’s desk yet, but the initial approach signals that Los Blancos are genuinely assessing the 26-year-old as a possible addition to their squad — and the name of José Mourinho is right at the heart of why this story has legs.
What’s Going On
McTominay has two years left on his current Napoli contract, running until June 2028, but renewal discussions have reportedly stalled without making meaningful progress. That situation has naturally pricked the ears of clubs across Europe. Napoli aren’t under pressure to cash in, but where there’s uncertainty, there’s opportunity — and Real Madrid have moved early to register their interest.
His current market value is reported to be around €40 million, but because no deal is imminent and the contract clock is ticking, a transfer in the summer of 2027 is being estimated in the €25–30 million bracket. For a club of Real Madrid’s resources, that kind of fee is well within reach and, frankly, looks like a bargain if the Scot continues his current trajectory.
And what a trajectory it has been. After leaving Manchester United for Serie A in the summer of 2024, McTominay immediately became one of Napoli’s key figures. He registered 13 goals and six assists during the 2024/25 campaign — the season Napoli claimed the Serie A title — before stepping things up even further with 14 goals and four assists in 2025/26. He is no longer the high-energy, slightly raw midfielder who broke through at Old Trafford; he has reinvented himself as a genuine goalscoring threat and a title-winner in one of Europe’s most demanding leagues.
Real Madrid are not the only club circling, either. Aston Villa have been linked with McTominay as they search for more firepower in advanced areas, while Manchester United are reportedly considering a return for their former academy product. The competition for his signature, should Napoli’s renewal talks collapse entirely, promises to be fierce.
The Mourinho Factor — and What It Means for Madrid
The detail that makes this Real Madrid link particularly fascinating is the presence of José Mourinho in the dugout at the Bernabéu. Mourinho handed McTominay his Manchester United debut and played a central role in shaping the early stages of his career. The manager knows this player inside out — his strengths, his workrate, how to get the best out of him — and that kind of familiarity can be a genuine deciding factor when a player is weighing up his options.
From a tactical standpoint, Mourinho has consistently shown throughout his managerial career that he values midfielders who bring physicality, intelligence off the ball, and the ability to contribute at both ends of the pitch. McTominay ticks all of those boxes. He can function as a deep-lying midfielder, a box-to-box operator, or in a more advanced role just behind the forwards. His aerial prowess and habit of arriving late into the penalty area give his side a dimension that technically polished but less physical midfielders often can’t provide.
Real Madrid’s midfield has traditionally been stocked with players of the highest technical calibre — think the Kroos era, the Modrić peak years, or the emergence of Bellingham as a box-to-box force. McTominay is a different breed, and that’s arguably the point. Adding a player capable of doing the less glamorous work — winning headers, pressing relentlessly, turning up with goals from deep — could give Madrid genuine balance and unpredictability in the middle of the park.
What Happens Next
The key variable here is Napoli. As long as the Italian club hold firm and renewal talks remain open, there is no transfer to discuss. But if those negotiations continue to stall, McTominay’s camp will be listening carefully to what’s on offer from elsewhere — and Real Madrid’s early contact puts them ahead of the curve.
A €25–30 million deal would be modest by the standards of the modern elite transfer market, and the prospect of working under Mourinho again could be a powerful pull for a player who clearly has enormous respect for the Portuguese coach. With Aston Villa and Manchester United also in the frame, though, Madrid will need to be decisive if and when the window opens properly. This one is very much worth watching.
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