'Mismanagement on an industrial scale!' - Man Utd slammed for 'atrocious' Scott McTominay transfer call as Graeme Souness labels Napoli star a 'fantastic modern footballer'

After 22 years with the Old Trafford club, the midfielder was sold to Napoli for a £25.4 million ($34m) transfer fee and has enjoyed a bright debut season in Italy, scoring six goals and registering four assists for the Serie A title hopefuls.

United, meanwhile, continue to struggle as they languish in 13th place in the English top-flight and will fail to qualify for next season's Champions League unless they win the Europa League. Ex-Scotland star Souness believes United must now regret having sold McTominay while they spent big money on the likes of Casemiro and Mannuel Ugarte, slamming such decisions as "mismanagement on an industrial scale".

"Oh how Manchester United must regret selling Scott McTominay, whose penalty gave Scotland a win in Greece on Thursday night," he wrote in The Daily Mail.

"He’s a fantastic modern footballer. A high-energy, box-to-box workaholic who chips in with important goals.

"He was 27 years old and not hurting United with his wages when the club’s ‘decision-makers’ thought it was a bright idea to sell him to Napoli for £25m.

"They’d gone out and spent £58m on an ageing, 30-year-old Casemiro, and paid him £370,000 a week. And another £42m on Manuel Ugarte. Collective transfer fees of £100m.

"Would someone at United please hold their hand up and say: ‘This was my shout.’ Because it’s been an atrocious piece of judgment. The perfect example of the mismanagement on an industrial scale at that club since Fergie packed in."

United will hope to make it five games unbeaten in all competitions when they face Champions League chasers Nottingham Forest on April 1. McTominay, meanwhile, has a big game against AC Milan in Serie A coming up on Sunday.