Manchester United have made some key additions over the last couple of years to try and push the club back towards the summit of the Premier League.

The supporters have been starved of success on the field for many years, often finishing outside the top four and settling for numerous woeful showings under former boss Erik ten Hag.

However, the Dutchman was ultimately given his marching orders a couple of weeks ago after another dismal start to the campaign, with Ruben Amorim brought in to try and fix the mess left by the 54-year-old.

The recruitment will allow Amorim to work with former players such as Manuel Ugarte after their time together at Sporting CP, whilst giving young talents like Amad Diallo the chance to consistently reach the levels they’ve shown glimpses of.

He won’t be able to work with multiple players who have departed Old Trafford in recent times, however, including one player who left his boyhood club during the recent transfer window.

Scott McTominay’s life after Manchester United

Midfielder Scott McTominay came through the Manchester United academy, going on to have a very successful career in the first-team at his boyhood club.

The now-Scotland international went on to make 255 appearances over a seven-year period after his debut back in January 2017.

However, the 27-year-old would leave this summer, swapping Manchester for Naples and joining Serie A side Napoli in a £25m deal - a move which allowed Ugarte to move to the North West.

It’s certainly safe to say that McTominay was massively underrated during his time at Old Trafford, scoring 29 times, including a long-range screamer against local rivals Manchester City in March 2020, securing the victory for the Red Devils.

The hierarchy’s decision to offload the talent already appears to be a huge mistake given his early season form under former Chelsea boss Antonio Conte in Italy.

The midfielder has notched three goals and one assist in his opening ten outings, carrying on the record that saw him become a consistent goalscoring midfielder for United.

However, despite the transfer, there’s another talent who also departed the club in recent times before going on to enjoy major success away from Manchester.

The player who United must regret selling

After joining the club as a 17-year-old from Spanish giants Real Madrid, left-back Alvaro Fernandez was immediately placed into the youth setup at Carrington, allowing him to develop his game before making his mark on the first team.

He was given his first taste of senior football during the 2022/23 season, joining Championship side Preston North End on a season-long loan - making 42 appearances and registering six assists - winning their Young Player of the Season award.

The Spaniard would subsequently have two loan spells at Granada and Benfica during the previous campaign, before joining the latter on a permanent basis during the summer.

Fernandez moved for just £5m with a 50% sell-on clause in the deal, but crucially with a buy-back option should they ever want to re-sign the rising star.

His move to Portugal this campaign has been a roaring success, featuring 17 times in all competitions throughout 2024/25, registering a staggering two goals and two assists in his last five outings.

The 21-year-old “monster”, as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, is a marauding full-back, who loves to get forward, able to have an impact at both ends, as demonstrated by his tallies - making him the perfect fit for Amorim’s three-back system which has a huge impetus on the wing-backs.

When delving into his stats from the current season, his underlying figures are just as impressive - making him the perfect option for the 39-year-old had the Red Devils kept hold of the youngster.

Fernandez has averaged 6.9 progressive passes, along with 2.9 progressive carries, but has still caught the eye defensively - averaging 2.4 tackles won per 90 - having all the tools to be a world-class talent for many years to come.

It’s all well and good the club having a buy-back option with his departure from the summer, but it could’ve been totally avoided by keeping hold of the Spain U21 international.

With a shortage of natural wing-backs at Old Trafford - particularly on the left flank, amid the absence of both Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia - the sale of Fernandez may represent a bigger mistake than that of McTominay.

As it is, United are already well stocked in the midfield ranks, with the likes of Ugarte, Casemiro, Kobbie Mainoo, Mason Mount, Christian Eriksen and Bruno Fernandes all on board, with it having been an opportune time to sell McTominay with just a year remaining on his contract.

As for young Fernandez, his talents are there for all to see, with Amorim potentially wishing that the hierarchy decided to keep the one-time Madrid man in Manchester.