'It's beyond me' - Ole Gunnar Solskjaer stunned by Man Utd transfer blunder | OneFootball

Former Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has openly questioned why his past employers sold Scott McTominay last summer while defending his own criticised transfer decisions.

Solskjaer, now in charge of Turkish giants Besiktas, spent almost three years in charge of United between 2018 and 2021. The once prolific forward enjoyed and endured a range of peaks and troughs while in charge of his beloved former club.

There was a notable drop-off in results after he was permanently appointed manager following a blistering 19-game caretaker spell, yet Solskjaer still led United to a second-placed finish in 2020/21 - heights that Ruben Amorim can only dream of this season.

The ex-Norway international was eventually ousted from the Old Trafford dugout four months into the 2021/22 campaign after failing to find the best system to accommodate United's summer arrivals - namely, Cristiano Ronaldo.

However, watching on from afar as a keen fan, Solskjaer revealed his shock at the club's transfer activity last summer, citing the exit of Scott McTominay to Napoli as a particularly confusing decision.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was full of praise for Scott McTominay / OLI SCARFF/AFP via Getty Images

"How you can sell Scott is beyond me," Solskjaer gawped while in conversation with BBC Sport. "Scott and Fred together, they were lads you would put your hat on every day to give 100%."

McTominay had been a regular in defensive midfield for Solskjaer but began to show his attacking prowess towards the end of Erik ten Hag's tenure. The Scotland international racked up ten non-penalty goals across all competitions last term for United - more than Bruno Fernandes, Marcus Rashford or Anthony Martial could boast.

The United academy graduate has continued to excel in Serie A this term, hitting double digits for Antonio Conte's league-leading Napoli.

Beyond the arrival of Ronaldo and Jadon Sancho, Solskjaer's decision to sanction a record-breaking £80m move for Harry Maguire was widely criticised. The former United boss was keen to hail the centre-back as "a leader and a fighter".

"I was never in doubt when I signed him and he walked in the door he would be captain for us," Solskjaer insisted. "There is another captain there in Bruno [Fernandes]. The two of them are top human beings."

Three-and-a-half years on from his Old Trafford departure, Solskjaer revealed that Maguire and Fernandes are among a surprisingly small group of former players who have got in contact with him. "Those two and Victor [Lindelof] are probably the only ones I have heard from in the club since I left," he admitted. "You want the best for them."