Scott McTominay's Contract Situation at Napoli: Talks Stalled Amid Health Concerns

Manna has lifted the lid on Scott McTominay’s contract situation at Napoli, admitting talks have stalled despite a shared desire to continue together beyond 2028.

Speaking to DAZN, the sporting director cut through the speculation around the 29-year-old’s future. “McTominay’s contract renewal? Scott said he doesn’t know if he’ll renew at this time,” Manna revealed, underlining the uncertainty hanging over a player who has become central to both club and country.

Napoli want him to stay. So does the player. The agreement, though, remains stuck in the gap between intention and detail.

“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 said, summing up a negotiation that has turned into a delicate puzzle rather than a formality.

Health scare and surgery in London

While the boardroom grapples with figures and clauses, McTominay’s immediate battle is a medical one.

Diagnosed with a mild benign arrhythmia – an irregular heartbeat that occasionally strays from its normal rhythm – the midfielder has undergone a planned procedure in London. Napoli moved quickly once the condition was identified, scheduling the operation to limit disruption to their season and avoid any lingering doubts over his long-term health.

Inside the club, there is confidence. The expectation is clear: McTominay should be back in full competitive action by mid-October.

The player has worked hard to keep the mood calm. At a recent awards ceremony, he played down the drama and stressed this was not a sudden emergency. “I’m fine, the procedure was something I’d planned to do with the club for quite a while,” he said, reassuring supporters who feared the worst when news of a heart issue first emerged.

Blow for Napoli and Scotland

The timing, though, hurts.

McTominay has already missed Napoli’s 3-2 defeat to Inter Milan, a second straight loss for Massimiliano Allegri’s side and the kind of chaotic, high-stakes match where his presence in midfield is usually non-negotiable. Without him, the balance in the engine room has shifted, and the fixture list shows no mercy.

• Arsenal
• Bologna
• Fiorentina

A demanding run, and no McTominay to steady the middle of the pitch or drag his team through difficult spells.

Scotland feel the impact just as sharply. With 73 caps and a reputation as one of the Tartan Army’s emotional leaders, he will sit out four key Nations League games against Slovenia, Switzerland and North Macedonia. These aren’t throwaway fixtures; they open the Sebastien Pocognoli era and set the tone for what comes next.

This is the same midfielder who delivered the decisive goals to punch Scotland’s ticket to the 2026 World Cup. Now, the new head coach must start his tenure without his most reliable big-game performer. For a manager trying to stamp his authority on a squad, it is a brutal early test.

A meticulous return plan

Behind the scenes, Napoli have mapped out every step of McTominay’s recovery.

Manna outlined a strict, phased approach. The first two weeks after surgery are ring-fenced: total rest, no shortcuts, no temptation to accelerate the process. Only once that window closes will McTominay be allowed back on the grass, and even then the work will be controlled and contact-free, focused on light training and rebuilding fitness.

“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.”

The final hurdle – full-contact football – will wait on medical clearance and the safe completion of his medication schedule. No risks, no gambles.

So Napoli sit in a strange holding pattern: a key contract unresolved, a key player temporarily sidelined, and a season beginning to gather speed without him. When McTominay finally returns to the heart of their midfield, will he be doing so as the long-term pillar of their project, or a star entering the final chapters of his time in Naples?