Conte has known McTominay for some time, having seen him play in the Premier League with Manchester United. He noticed that McTominay was always impactful on the field, but he was not always used as a key player by his previous club. McTominay rarely started matches and was often used in a supporting role.

Conte and Napoli's sports director, Giovanni Manna, had discussed McTominay as a potential signing earlier in the transfer window. However, Conte admits that he didn't think McTominay would join Napoli at the time. He praises Manna for his good work in making the transfer happen, saying that he was very happy when McTominay arrived.

Conte emphasizes that he didn't think McTominay would reach his full potential, partly because Napoli didn't have the same level of competition as other teams in the league. However, McTominay's arrival proved to be a successful move for the team.