"He said no" - Fabrizio Romano claims Manchester United star Scott McTominay rejected Deadline Day move to Premier League rivals

Fabrizio Romano has claimed that Scott McTominay refused to leave Manchester United for Fulham on deadline day (1 September) of the summer transfer window.

McTominay was one of the names the Cottagers earmarked as a potential replacement for Joao Palhina. The Portuguese midfielder completed his medical at Bayern Munich and was waiting for Fulham to give the green light.

But the 28-year-old's move to Germany fell through and he returned to London as Fulham were unable to find his replacement. Perhaps they could have let him leave for Bayern if they signed McTominay, but the Scotland international didn't want the transfer.

Romano told CaughtOffside (h/t TheBootRoom):

"From what I’m told, Fulham also spoke to the Manchester United midfielder, but he said no to Fulham. So what happened is that the Palhinha deal collapsed because Fulham couldn’t find a replacement."

McTominay, a regular under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, saw his playing time increase after the arrival of Erik ten Hag last summer. He started just 10 league games last term as the Dutchman trusted new signings Christian Eriksen and Casemiro in central midfield.

McTominay's playing time is expected to be reduced even further after the arrival of Sofyan Amrabat from Fiorentina on deadline day. He has been signed for a €10 million loan fee with the option to make the deal permanent for €25 million (h/t GOAL).

McTominay, meanwhile, has played just seven minutes of football this season and he will enter the final 12 months of his contract at Old Trafford in July 2024.

---

Erik ten Hag gives verdict on Manchester United's clash against Arsenal

Erik ten Hag believes the fixture against Arsenal is one of Manchester United's most important games of the season.

Before the kick-off on Sunday (3 September) at the Emirates, the Dutchman praised last season's runners-up and told the club's official website:

"I think with their style and their system it’s quite clear and they did very well already last season, we were impressed. But we have seen we can play good against them and we’re really looking forward [to it] because probably [it is] one of the most important games in the Premier League.

The Red Devils have only beaten Arsenal twice in their last nine meetings across competitions. The north London outfit beat Manchester United 3-2 at Emirates last season but lost 3-2 at Old Trafford.

Both of them have had a decent start to the season. Arsenal are unbeaten so far and have seven points from league three games along with an FA Community Shield trophy.

Manchester United, meanwhile, have six points from three matches. Their 2-0 loss against Tottenham Hotspur was sandwiched between wins against Wolverhampton Wanderers and Nottingham Forest.