Southampton intended to sign Scott McTominay last summer, and his 2025 Ballon d'Or finish must've frustrated the Saints about what they missed on by letting the opportunity slip away.
Ask Saints fans, and they would recount how, despite a forgettable 2025, they have had the good fortune to leverage involvement in big European nights. And having enjoyed it all from Kevin Danso's Europa win to Romeo Lavia's CWC victory, their expectations wouldn't be bleak, as the footballing world recently gathered at the 2025 Ballon d'Or gala.
Still being practical of the ultimate contest between Lamine Yamal and Ousmane Dembele, hardly any fan would've hoped for any miraculous result for an ex-Saint. Fair enough, right? But the final 30-Man rankings still left them all in awe.
No, not for Dembele, who deservedly won the Golden Ball, but for their former target, Scott McTominay's advanced finish over Southampton icon Virgil van Dijk.
For those who aren't able to recall, McTominay was a possible option on Southampton's radar on the back of his decent Man United 2023/24 spell. However, the deal never went through as Napoli was swift enough to utilise the opportunity, adding him to their roster for around £25 million.
Saints realise what they missed on McTominay's £25M opportunity
Now, while a risky move as per most back then, the Italian side completely won the bet, winning the Serie A within the Scot's debut season. And for McTominay himself? The ex-Man United star is making headlines for his 18th-place finish at the 2025 Ballon d'Or Gala over Virgil van Dijk and many others.
Agreed that, though unwritten, attackers generally enjoy an edge above their defensive counterparts, making sense for McTominay, acing past the Saints icon. But the fact that he finished above the likes of Jude Bellingham and Erling Haaland, too, speaks of the season he had.
Well, from Southampton's perspective, it isn't difficult to realise what the club let go by not pushing for McTominay, but the fact that had he joined the Saints, this situation wouldn't have arisen can't be neglected. Honestly, given the miserable 2025 Southampton have had, even at best, McTominay would've ended subpar to his Man United 23/24 status.
Still, overall, it would be unwise to deny that McTominay's addition would've improved the Saints. Who knows, maybe they could've avoided falling back to the Championship situation they are in, but again, these are just speculations of how the reality hasn't been.