Gary Lineker names ex-Man United star who would be perfect for Ruben Amorim - as he hits out at 'nonsensical' rules that led to his Old Trafford exit

The Carrington graduate left Manchester United last summer for Serie A's Napoli

Gary Lineker identified an ex-Man United star that would be perfect for Amorim

Gary Lineker has named a former Man United star that he believes is 'exactly' what Ruben Amorim needs right now.

United are on track to log their worst goalscoring tally in a Premier League campaign ever, eclipsing Louis van Gaal’s final season in 2015-16 when they scored 49 goals.

So far this season, United have netted just 38 in 32 league games; at this rate, they are set to finish the season on 45 goals.

Last summer, Scott McTominay called an end to his seven-year spell at Old Trafford by joining Napoli for £26million, having debuted for United in 2017 after rising through the club's youth ranks.

During Erik ten Hag's tumultuous tenure in the north-west, McTominay was often a source of goals for United, netting 10 and providing three assists from central midfield last season alone.

And at Napoli, the Scotsman has been superb since teaming up with Antonio Conte, chalking up 10 goal contributions in his 28 Serie A appearances so far.

Gary Lineker argued Scott McTominay is 'exactly' what Ruben Amorim needs at Man United

The midfielder left the Red Devils last summer to join the Italian giants for a £26million fee

Amorim's side have struggled for goals this season, having scored just 38 in 32 league games

Lineker argued that McTominay is just the fix Amorim needs amid United's goalscoring woes this season.

'Scott McTominay, scored two more goals, one of them a beauty, for Napoli at the beginning of the week. It's remarkable how well some of the [former] United players are doing,' Lineker told The Rest is Football.

'McTominay is exactly the player, I would say, that would work in an Amorim system. He's what they need.'

McTominay's Old Trafford exit was begrudgingly sanctioned by the club in order to align with Premier League Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR), which limit clubs to a maximum loss of £105m over a rolling three-year period.

Since McTominay qualified as a homegrown talent, having graduated from United's Carrington academy, 100 per cent of his sale counted as profit on the club's balance sheet, helping them avoid PSR breaches.

Lineker described the rules as nonsensical, as he added: 'And I know they were forced to sell him because of this PSR and he's a local lad, which we all think is a nonsensical and a ridiculous feature of this particular rule.'

In an interview with The Athletic at the start of the month, McTominay — who made over 250 appearances during his time at Manchester United — insisted he could have been better used by his managers, accusing them of 'mis-profiling' him.

Rather than being deployed in the box-to-box role that has brought him success at Napoli, McTominay was predominantly used as a defensive midfielder, or No 6, during his time at Manchester United, occasionally even being asked to fill in at centre-back.

United are on pace to score 45 league goals - their fewest ever in a Premier League campaign

McTominay - who netted 10 from midfield in 2024-25 - has been missed as a source of goals

'When I got into the first team, I was quite mis-profiled in where I was playing,' McTominay said.

'It wasn’t the fault of any coaches. My strengths have always been getting into the box, scoring goals, being a problem in there. But I was being used as a No 6, or as a centre-back, and that has never really been my game.'

McTominay and Napoli are next in action against Monza on Saturday, as they aim to continue their momentum in Serie A's title race.

Conte's high-flyers have lost just one of their last 14 games, as they trail Inter Milan in first by only three points.

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