Scott McTominay
February 2026
Italian reports claim McTominay is open to returning to the Premier League and United are “leading the way” among interested clubs, despite his strong output and long contract in Naples. Napoli’s executive publicly acknowledges the financial reality for Serie A clubs if huge offers arrive and the player wants the move, framing it as difficult to resist even if Napoli prefer to keep him.
Scott McTominay
January 2026
Napoli came from behind to beat Genoa 3-2 with a stoppage-time penalty, with Højlund scoring twice and McTominay also on target, but Conte confirmed his midfielder is playing through an ongoing tendon problem that forced him off at halftime. Napoli trailed to a Ruslan Malinovskyi penalty, then struck back through Højlund and McTominay. McTominay was replaced at the break, Napoli later went down to 10 after Juan Jesus’ red card, conceded an equaliser, then won it via VAR-awarded penalty converted by Højlund.
Scott McTominay
January 2026
Napoli’s Giammarioli said he is worried about keeping McTominay long-term and suggested the midfielder “deserves” a future move to a higher level, highlighting Serie A’s financial disadvantage against the Premier League. He argued that when huge offers arrive and the player wants to go, Italian clubs struggle to resist, using Newcastle’s cited big-money deal for Woltemade as an example of market pressure.
Liam Rosenior
January 2026
Joe Cole praised Rosenior’s early Chelsea spell after a 3-2 Champions League win at Napoli that secured a top-eight league-phase finish and automatic last-16 qualification. Cole pointed to results and a visible shift in mindset since Maresca’s exit, arguing winning in Naples and a strong short-term run validates the appointment despite initial skepticism about experience.
Cole Palmer
January 2026
Rosenior again insists Palmer is happy at Chelsea and dismisses Manchester United links as baseless, saying there is no need for assurances about a sale. Rosenior repeats he has spoken to Palmer, frames the rumours as timing-related noise around managerial change, and says focus is on Palmer’s return and team improvement.
Antonio Conte
January 2026
Conte criticised Amorim’s approach at United, saying it failed Hojlund, who has improved at Napoli and has nine goals across competitions since joining on loan with an obligation to buy. Hojlund was deemed surplus at United after an inconsistent scoring season and moved to Napoli, where Conte’s structure and coaching have improved his positioning and confidence, translating into goals in Serie A, Europe and domestic cups.
Joao Gomes
January 2026
Atletico and United are both linked with Gomes, with Atletico seeking a replacement after Gallagher’s reported move to Tottenham, and United monitoring midfield options. Reports claim Atletico have moved quickly, but Gomes has expressed commitment to helping Wolves avoid relegation and has indicated he prefers staying in England, which could aid United if a deal develops.
Antonio Conte
January 2026
Conte says Hojlund has improved significantly and stresses the importance of coaching details like positioning and team play, framed as a contrast to how he was used previously. Hojlund’s output has improved on loan at Napoli, and Conte’s comments position Napoli’s coaching structure as central to the turnaround while referencing United’s prior decisions in the striker pecking order.
Raheem Sterling
January 2026
Rosenior says he will speak to Sterling and Disasi after their exclusion from first-team training this season under Maresca. Both are training separately from the main squad; Sterling has not played this season and Disasi has not played in the league since January 20, 2025. Napoli are linked with Sterling; Roma and Lyon have asked about Disasi. Chelsea cannot approve another overseas loan unless they cancel an existing foreign loan because they already have six players out abroad.
Benjamin Sesko
January 2026
Ruben Amorim told Benjamin Sesko to be more clinical after United’s 1-1 draw at Leeds, describing him as a completely different striker to Rasmus Hojlund. Sesko has only two league goals and missed big chances as United dropped points in the top-four chase. Amorim said Sesko is doing many things right by getting into chances and linking play, but must improve in the final moments. He also highlighted broader attacking contributions and credited Matheus Cunha’s equaliser as part of a collective effort.
