McTominay is not the only former Man Utd player starring for Napoli

When Manchester United fans scan the line-ups of Europe’s big clubs for familiar names, they might pause at Napoli’s squad and do a double-take – and not just because of Scott McTominay’s presence.

Vanja Milinkovic-Savic, the 28-year-old Serbian goalkeeper who once had a brief association with United as a teenager, has quietly gone about turning a decent career into something more notable since joining Napoli in the summer of 2025.

What began as a journeyman path through Europe’s leagues has, this season, placed him squarely in the headlines in Naples – and occasionally on the radar of clubs back in England.

Milinkovic-Savic’s backstory is a reminder that modern careers rarely run in straight lines. Born in Ourense while his father was playing in Spain, he came through the youth ranks in Serbia before earning a move to Manchester United.

The Old Trafford spell never produced a senior appearance and he moved on, eventually rebuilding his reputation in Poland and then Italy with Torino, where he established himself as a reliable Serie A option.

Part of the broader interest in Milinkovic-Savic comes through family association: he is the younger brother of midfield star Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, and the two have been compared and contrasted in transfer columns ever since Sergej’s rise at Lazio.

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Vanja’s own path has been less headline-grabbing but no less respectable; where Sergej made his name as a box-to-box force, Vanja has carved a reputation for shot-stopping and commanding aerial authority – traits that have obvious appeal to top clubs looking for a modern, imposing goalkeeper.

Napoli secured Vanja on a loan with an obligation to buy in July 2025, a deal that signalled serious intent from the reigning Serie A champions to refresh their goalkeeping ranks.

The transfer was reported as an obligation worth in the region of €21.5m, moving him from Torino to a club where the pressure to produce is relentless and the spotlight never dims. Early indicators are that he is responding well to both expectation and competition.

Interest from abroad has followed. Manchester United and other Premier League clubs have periodically been linked with Milinkovic-Savic – usually framed as exploratory approaches rather than formal bids – with media outlets reporting contacts and scouting checks as clubs weigh goalkeeping options amid unsettled incumbents.

Those links should be treated as part of the transfer-season noise, but they do reflect how a goalkeeper who once failed to register a competitive game for United now finds the club’s suitors circling with genuine curiosity.

On the pitch this season, Vanja has been Napoli’s starting man between the sticks in Serie A, producing several sharp saves, good command of crosses and a calmness in distribution that suits Napoli’s play out from the back. For a goalkeeper settling into a new defence and a new tactical plan, those are encouraging signs.

Milinkovic-Savic is an emblem of the sometimes-circuitous route to prominence. He was once a name on the periphery of Manchester United’s plans; now he’s an established Serie A starter at a club with continental ambitions.

Whether the Premier League ever renews its flirtation with him, or Napoli turn him into a long-term pillar, remains to be seen.

For the moment, however, the goalkeeper from Ourense is doing his talking on the pitch – and, crucially for Napoli, that talking has so far been reassuring.

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