Celtic reportedly missed out on the chance to land Manchester United midfielder Scott McTominay a few years ago, with then-Hoops boss Brendan Rodgers having seemingly been keen on a move for the Scotland international.
Reports back in January 2019 suggested that the 6 foot 4 menace was on the radar of the Parkhead outfit after falling down the pecking order with the Premier League side, with the Old Firm giants having been eyeing up a possible loan swoop.
While the aforementioned Rodgers would not admit to such interest at the time, the Northern Irishman did voice his admiration for the player having dubbed him a “fantastic talent”, albeit with the Red Devils academy graduate ultimately staying put.
The Lancaster-born midfielder subsequently admitted that he had not been keen on a move away from Old Trafford at the time, with the departure of teammate Marouane Fellaini in that same window ultimately enhancing his playing time under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
As far as the Glasgow side are concerned, that failure to land the towering colossus represents something of a missed opportunity, with there potentially a scenario in which the player could have joined on loan and gone on to sign permanently had he impressed at Celtic Park.
As it is, the £60k-per-week gem has gone on to remain a key figure at Old Trafford since then, having now racked up 177 games in all competitions for the club after initially making his debut under Jose Mourinho back in 2017.
A firm favourite of the Portuguese icon, the defensive-minded asset has no doubt earned notable admirers for his form over the years, having even been dubbed one of the “best midfielders in the world” by Atletico Madrid boss Diego Simeone last term
The “physical monster” – as lauded by Solskjaer – has no doubt come in for criticism from fans and pundits alike in recent times, although it is hard to shake off the feeling that he has been something of a scapegoat at times, with recent hefty interest in his signature over the summer a real marker of his quality.
Something of a “nightmare to play against” – according to talkSPORT pundit Danny Murphy – due to his powerful frame and tireless nature, the 25-year-old has most recently made a strong impression on new United boss Erik ten Hag, having kept Brazilian legend Casemiro out of the side in recent weeks.
Such has been his rise since having previously appeared out of favour at the Theatre of Dreams just over three years ago, McTominay is now even said to be valued at around £70m, according to CIES Football Observatory.
To think that Rodgers and co come close to being able to land such a talent – albeit on loan – will be a real source of frustration for the Scottish Premiership side.
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