Scott McTominay's Contract Uncertainty and Health Update

Napoli sporting director Giovanni Manna has laid bare the uncertainty surrounding Scott McTominay’s future, admitting contract talks with the midfielder have stalled despite goodwill on both sides.

McTominay is tied to the club until 2028, but an extension remains unresolved. Speaking to DAZN, Manna cut through the speculation.

“McTominay’s contract renewal? Scott said he doesn’t know if he’ll renew at this time,” he said, underlining the standstill. Napoli want him to stay. The player wants to stay. The agreement, though, remains elusive.

“He has a two-year contract, we want to do it, and he wants to do it too. It’s not always easy to make things coincide, but we’re trying,” Manna added, pointing to the familiar tension between intention and detail that so often shapes modern football negotiations.

Health scare, swift response

While his long-term future is debated in meeting rooms, McTominay’s short-term reality is far more immediate: a heart procedure in London.

The 29-year-old has been diagnosed with a mild benign arrhythmia, an irregularity in his heartbeat that Napoli have moved quickly to manage. The club have scheduled surgery with the clear aim of limiting disruption to their season and expect him back in full competitive action by mid-October.

McTominay has tried to calm any rising anxiety among supporters. At a recent awards ceremony, he played down the alarm around the operation.

“I’m fine, the procedure was something I’d planned to do with the club for quite a while,” he said, framing it as a controlled, proactive step rather than a sudden emergency.

Big miss for Napoli and Scotland

The timing, though, hurts. Badly.

McTominay has already sat out Napoli’s chaotic 3-2 defeat to Inter Milan, a second straight loss for Massimiliano Allegri’s side. Without him, the midfield loses its bite and balance just as a demanding run looms: Arsenal, Bologna, Fiorentina. These are fixtures that test depth, resilience, and leadership. McTominay usually offers all three.

The impact stretches beyond Serie A.

For Scotland, the setback cuts even deeper. McTominay, capped 73 times and a pillar of the Tartan Army’s recent resurgence, will miss four key Nations League matches against Slovenia, Switzerland, and North Macedonia. Those games open the Sebastien Pocognoli era. They also arrive with the memory still fresh of McTominay’s decisive goals that sealed Scotland’s place at the 2026 World Cup.

To lose that kind of influence just as a new head coach is trying to stamp his authority is a brutal early test.

A carefully mapped recovery

Napoli, at least, have a clear plan.

Manna outlined a strict, phased recovery designed to protect the player while edging him back towards full intensity. The first fortnight after surgery will be completely shut down: no training, no exertion, just rest and recovery as his body adjusts.

“It will take 28 days for sporting fitness because he will take anticoagulant drugs,” Manna explained. “For two weeks, the player will rest and then resume competitive activity without contact.”

Once that initial rest period ends, McTominay will be allowed to return to non-contact work: light training, conditioning, and controlled drills. Only after that, and only with specialist clearance, will he be able to step back into full-contact football.

Napoli are betting that a month of patience now will secure their midfield leader for the run-in. Scotland, staring at a Nations League campaign without one of their main men, can only hope the same calculation pays off.