Scott McTominay, Napoli's 29-year-old Scottish midfielder, returned from a minor heart problem less than three weeks ago to a standing ovation against Frosinone — and now the club faces a more complicated question than his fitness: whether to tie him to a long-term contract, and how that decision shapes the midfield around him.
The timing matters. Napoli sit ninth in Serie A after six matches, with ten points from three wins, a draw, and two defeats. That is a position that demands clarity in the engine room, not ambiguity over who stays and who goes. McTominay has appeared in three league matches this season, contributing no goals and no assists, with an average rating of 6.69 — numbers that reflect a player still finding his competitive rhythm after a significant medical interruption rather than one operating at full capacity.
Massimiliano Allegri confirmed before Napoli's Champions League fixture against Villarreal that McTominay could start, a signal that the Napoli coach considers him fit enough for European competition. The comment also carried an implicit tactical message: McTominay is not being managed back gradually as a fringe option. Allegri is prepared to use him in a high-stakes environment.
Club director Giovanni Manna stated publicly that McTominay wants to remain at Napoli, and acknowledged that the club needs to improve in the Champions League. Those two points are connected. A midfielder who has just come through a heart problem and is willing to commit long-term represents a different kind of asset than one whose future is uncertain — but only if the contract negotiation is handled separately from the broader question of what the midfield should look like. Conflating the two risks distorting both decisions.
McTominay carries an AI overall of 76 out of 100. That number suggests a player who, at full fitness, contributes meaningfully — but it also sets a benchmark against which his current 6.69 average rating will be measured as the weeks accumulate. The gap between those two figures is where the real story of his season will be written.
Allegri's Napoli need him to close it quickly.