David Beckham makes it perfectly clear what he thinks of Man Utd selling Scott McTominay

David Beckham has seemingly taken aim at decision to offload . The 50-year-old, who, like McTominay, rose through United's academy ranks, said he "hates" seeing top quality youngsters being sold "purely for financial reasons".

McTominay, now thriving at , made over 250 appearances for United before being sold for just £25.7million last summer, with then-manager claiming the move was necessary to help . Since making the switch to Italy, the international has been in scintillating form, playing a key role in Napoli's charge toward the title.

With 18 goal contributions in all competitions, he's earned the nickname "the bottle opener" for his knack of scoring crucial breakthrough goals. United, meanwhile, have endured a disastrous campaign. With 18 league defeats and just two places separating them from the relegation zone, the club are staring down the barrel of their worst domestic finish in decades.

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Speaking to , underscored the importance of nurturing and retaining academy graduates "who understand the club." While he didn't mention McTominay by name, the timing and context of his remarks strongly suggest the midfielder was top of mind.

"I hate [the idea of] any young player who has grown up at United leaving the club. We shouldn't be selling players purely for financial reasons," the former captain said.

"It should be what they are doing on the field and if they're not performing, there's always a chance [they'll be left out of the team or sold]. We all knew that, I knew that.

"If I wasn't performing on the pitch, it didn't matter what I'd done in the past or what I was going to do in the future; there was a good chance that I was either going to get left on the bench, or I was going to get sold.

"I'd like to think that don't sell players that have grown up at the club, understand and love the club. I don't want to see players leave Manchester United if they care about United like I do."

Beckham speaks from first-hand experience. As a key figure in United's legendary '' - along with , , , and - he knows the value of homegrown talent. The group broke into first team, becoming regular starters and going on to win multiple titles, domestic cups, and an iconic Treble in 1999.

"We were lucky to be part of the most stable club with the same manager, owner, fans and players there for many years," Beckham noted. "We know when you have stability within the club, you have success. Simple as that."

McTominay was never afforded the same stability or trust. Across seven full seasons in United's senior squad, he played under four different managers. As a result, he was in and out of the team, often shuffled between roles, and constantly having to prove himself despite being one of the team's more consistent performers during a turbulent era.

He was often treated as expendable, rather than essential. A reliable, but unremarkable, squad player, rather than a superstar. In that context, his move to Napoli made perfect sense.

Under , he's finally been given a clear role and the backing to thrive, emerging as the midfield engine that drives one of Europe's most exciting teams. This weekend, Napoli can clinch just the fourth Scudetto in their storied history - and only the second since the days of .

A win against Cagliari on the final day would see them pip finalists to the title - a remarkable achievement, especially considering they've had to cope with the departures of both and in the past year.

In McTominay, however, they've discovered an unexpected superstar - a midfield lynchpin who's proving that greatness doesn't always arrive with fanfare. Sometimes, it's forged quietly, through resilience, consistency, and the hunger to finally be seen. Manchester United would do well to remember that.

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