Scott McTominay helps Man Utd land £38m windfall as another Scotland star scores key World Cup goal
Napoli qualify for Champions League as striker nets big goal
Scotland stars Scott McTominay and Billy Gilmour will be playing Champions League football for Napoli next season after they won 3-0 away at Pisa.
The victory at Stadio Romeo Anconetani confirmed Napoli’s position in the top four of Serie A with a game to spare. They are currently in second place, five points clear of Como in fifth.
McTominay opened the scoring in Pisa with his tenth goal of the league campaign, with further strikes coming from Amir Rrahmani and Rasmus Hojlund. Gilmour was an unused substitute.
The game was also momentous for Hojlund, as Napoli’s qualification for the Champions League means his loan move from Manchester United now becomes permanent.
The 23-year-old striker moved to Old Trafford from Atalanta in 2022 for £64million, plus a potential £8m in add-ons, as he joined the club he grew up supporting. But Hojlund only scored 14 goals in 62 Premier League appearances and spent this season with Napoli and his £38m transfer has now been triggered.
Hojlund posted on Instagram: “This goal felt symbolic because it means two things. We now secured Champions League with Napoli, which means because of my contract I’m now officially a Napoli player and I’m saying goodbye to Manchester United.
“That feels weird, because for the past year I already feel like a Napoli player. The way you fans supported me, made me feel like home and let me find my confidence again is something I’m so grateful for.
“To say goodbye to Manchester United is something that kinda feels emotional too. My childhood dream came true by playing at Old Trafford in a red jersey.
“So the goal today symbolises a new confident start, in which I will give everything for the time ahead to Napoli, and a thank you to all the fans, players and staff of Manchester United who made the dream I had as a kid come true.
“It’s time for new dreams, so let’s chase them.”
Elsewhere in Serie A, Kieron Bowie scored a timely goal for Hellas Verona against champions Internazionale ahead of Scotland’s World Cup squad announcement on Tuesday.
Bowie is one of a clutch of strikers looking to force his way into national team coach Steve Clarke’s plans and he did his chances no harm with a smooth finish in stoppage time at San Siro.
The goal earned already-relegated Verona a point against Inter, but was Bowie’s fourth strike in 13 appearances in Italy’s top flight since moving from Hibs in January.
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