Scott McTominay cannot stop impressing since swapping Manchester United for Napoli in the summer.
Despite being heavily linked with a switch to West Ham United, the Scotland international chose Serie A instead.
It has so far proved a career-defining moment for the ex-Man Utd star.
According to TuttoMercatoWeb, Antonio Conte was instrumental in persuading the 27-year-old to pick Napoli over London.
Conte made a direct phone call to McTominay to convince him to continue his career in Serie A.
The first contact dates back to late July, after the Italian manager carried out the scouting work by himself.
Impressed with McTominay’s qualities, Conte instructed Napoli sporting director Giovanni Manna to approach Man Utd to gather information.
With the Scottish star sidelined from Erik ten Hag’s project at Old Trafford, the Italians had a clear-cut opportunity to secure McTominay’s services.
Negotiations swiftly gained momentum, leading to the player’s transfer to Stadio Diego Armando Maradona for a reported fee of £25.7 million.
At the time, it felt like a decent deal for the Red Devils.
However, little did they know their outcast would become one of the standout performers in Serie A in virtually no time.
McTominay has scored the quickest goal in Italy’s top flight this season, rattling the net after just 25 seconds in a 3-1 rout of Como in early October.
It was his first league goal for Napoli.
Since finding the breakthrough, he has added two more to the tally, including a match-winner in a 1-0 triumph at Torino last weekend.
On top of his well-documented scoring prowess, McTominay has hauled two assists, establishing himself as Napoli’s most prolific midfielder.
For further context, Conte has deviated from his signature 3-5-2 formation to get the most out of his marquee signing.
With Napoli sitting at the top of the pile after 14 rounds, Conte’s tactical shift has yielded positive results, allowing McTominay to thrive in a more central role.
