Real Madrid contact McTominay's entourage as renewal stalls

Real Madrid have made their first concrete move for Scott McTominay: a direct approach to the midfielder's entourage. At Castel Volturno, Napoli's training ground, renewal talks have been stalled since 1 October, eight days now. This is no longer a vague transfer-market rumour — it is contact that could turn January into a dangerous window for Napoli.

Only a few days ago, on Wednesday 7 October, there was more optimism around the renewal, with the club said to be working on an agreement. Real Madrid's approach has reignited the doubts, and it is not just Madrid: other Premier League clubs could also move in if the stand-off drags on.

Giovanni Manna now faces a clear choice: block any departure in January outright, a line that could come on Massimiliano Allegri's advice, or let the issue run until summer 2027. In that case, without an agreement by June, a transfer would become inevitable and Napoli would risk losing McTominay for nothing.

The paradox is that McTominay is back at the centre of the team's plans right now. He passed his sporting fitness test on 8 October following heart surgery on 8 September, but according to the latest reports he could be left out of the squad against Frosinone so he can be managed ahead of Villarreal-Napoli in the Champions League on Tuesday 13 October. The club wants to protect him physically even as it struggles to secure him on a new contract.

The problem, for a Napoli side ninth in Serie A with 7 points from 5 games, is that McTominay is not a midfielder who can simply be swapped out with a market tweak. Nor is his case isolated: Anguissa's renewal is stuck over a €6m request the club also views as too high, and De Bruyne could leave for free at the end of the season. Napoli's midfield risks losing three key players at once without an equally solid replacement plan in place.

The next real deadline is 2 January 2027, when the winter window opens. That is when it will become clear whether Manna has locked McTominay down or left the door open to a concrete offer from Spain.