The reasons why McTominay is the player of the moment in Serie A

2026-01-12 20:15:00, Sport CNA

Scott McTominay continues to confirm his importance in Serie A, becoming a key element for Napoli this season. Although opponents are well aware of his style of play, the Scottish midfielder continues to be decisive thanks to his ability to escape attention and appear unexpectedly in the opposition's area. The match against Inter at the San Siro was another clear example of this profile.

The two goals scored for the 1-1 and 2-2 scores came from accurate free kicks, showing good reading of the game and accurate timing of actions.

Those actions reflected qualities such as physical strength, positioning, personality and the ability to predict the development of the action. These elements make the midfielder a difficult player to neutralize.

Statistically, McTominay has scored 5 league goals this season: three against Inter, one against Verona and one against Sassuolo. He has also scored 3 goals in the Champions League, including a brace against PSV and a goal against Qarabag. In Serie A, he averages a goal every 307 minutes. Last season, he finished the championship with 12 goals in 34 games, scoring a goal every 245 minutes.

However, the numbers do not fully reflect his impact on the collective game. This season, McTominay's role has changed significantly due to Antonio Conte's tactical changes. First, Napoli was restructured to integrate Kevin De Bruyne and then to maintain balance in the absence of Romelu Lukaku. In this context, McTominay has transformed into a versatile midfielder, capable of contributing in both the defensive and attacking phases.

He has shown that he can recover balls near his own area and be just as effective in the last 20 meters of the pitch. His height of 1.91 meters makes him dangerous in the aerial game, while his ball control allows him to be accurate in his actions on the ground. Not coincidentally, at one point in his career, he was also activated as a center forward.

At the beginning of his adventure in Italy, his transfer for 32 million euros was accompanied by doubts. However, these have quickly faded thanks to consistent performances and maximum commitment. This season, McTominay has missed only one match for preventive reasons and has maintained a consistent level of performance.