Scott McTominay’s journey from Manchester United to Napoli has been wild. He’s helped the club win a Scudetto, snagged a Ballon d’Or nomination, and his goal tally is impressive. But not everyone’s sold on him. Even with all those honours, one Serie A legend isn’t convinced. Radja Nainggolan slammed him as just “an average player".

After McTominay’s £26 million jump from Old Trafford in 2024, he took off. He won the Serie A MVP, clinched Napoli’s fourth Scudetto with a spectacular overhead goal against Cagliari, and made a big mark in Italy. Still, Nainggolan, never shy with an opinion, tore into him during a TV interview. Despite McTominay racking up 26 goals in 76 games and getting a Ballon d’Or nod, Nainggolan didn’t hold back. “I don’t like him,” he said on Sky Calcio Unplugged. “He gets his goals, 12, 13, 14 a season, but his general play? He doesn’t have the technique to move between the lines. He’s just average.”

And he wasn’t content to leave it at that. Nainggolan compared himself to today’s names, arguing he was better than both McTominay and Inter’s Hakan Calhanoglu at his best, though he admitted Nicolo Barella sits above him. “At my peak, I was better than McTominay and Calhanoglu, but Barella is on another level,” Nainggolan said. “He doesn’t always score a lot, but when he does, it matters, and you always feel his presence on the pitch. I like De Bruyne, too; he sees things nobody else does. He’s above me, and Modric...he’s always been world-class.”

Of course, Nainggolan’s take doesn’t really jibe with life in Naples. McTominay has become something of a hero there; his face is on murals around the city, the fans have dubbed him ‘McFratm’ (McBrother), and he helped Napoli win the Supercoppa Italiana in December 2025. Even if Inter seems ready to grab the Serie A crown back, McTominay’s reputation hasn’t dipped. His knack for scoring from midfield has been crucial for Conte’s side.

Nainggolan also touched on Belgium’s so-called “Golden Generation” and why they didn’t deliver a major trophy, despite stars like Lukaku, Hazard, and De Bruyne. He knows the team well, having made 30 appearances before retiring after he got left out of the 2018 World Cup squad. “We had Lukaku, Hazard, De Bruyne, and Courtois. Too many superstars, too many egos,” Nainggolan said. “Everyone wanted to be the star, to be the most important guy, and that just doesn’t work.” His take pretty much confirms what fans suspected: there was plenty of talent, but not enough unity.

Luka Modric, AC Milan’s Croatian midfield legend, just had surgery after fracturing his cheekbone, an injury that couldn’t have come at a worse time, with the World Cup so close. He picked up the injury in a tough Serie A match against Juventus, sending his World Cup hopes up in the air.

Modric, who’s been a rock for Milan this season, clashed heads with Manuel Locatelli during Sunday’s 0-0 draw at San Siro. It was one of those moments where you just know something’s wrong. He had to come off with ten minutes left, clearly in some pain, but stayed on the sidelines until the final whistle, not wanting to leave his teammates behind. After the match, scans showed he’d fractured his left cheekbone, which meant immediate surgery.

This setback couldn’t have come at a worse time. Modric is gearing up for what’s probably his last World Cup as Croatia’s captain. Still, his national team coach, Zlatko Dalic, sounds confident. He recently spoke with Luka, wished him a quick recovery, and said he believes Modric will do everything possible to get fit before the World Cup. Dalic is convinced his captain will bounce back and lead Croatia once again this summer.

For Milan, though, that pretty much ends Modric’s club season. With just four games left and Milan trailing Inter by twelve points, it’s hard to see him making another league appearance. That’s a tough pill to swallow after such a strong year. He’s started 32 out of 34 matches, showing he can still hang with the best at 40. Modric’s contract runs out this summer, but he can choose to stay for another year if he wants.

So what now? Croatia start their World Cup campaign against England on June 17, then face Ghana and Panama. If Modric heals in time, he’ll probably have to play wearing one of those carbon-fibre masks you see nowadays when players come back from facial injuries. The Croatian team still hopes he’ll be fully fit before the tournament kicks off. There's a seven-week window, so fingers crossed.

For Modric, this summer could be the last shot at the biggest stage in football. The next few weeks are all about rehab and recovery, and honestly, pretty much everyone’s going to be watching to see if he makes it back for one more run at glory.