Manchester United need to make SEVEN signings to become title challengers again, believes club legend Paul Scholes.
Erik ten Hag was sacked as manager in October and despite initial optimism, his successor Ruben Amorim, has struggled to fare any better.
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United’s ongoing domestic woes has seen them drop to 13th place in the Premier League table, while they exited the Carabao Cup at the quarter-final stage.
There is a degree of optimism that Amorim can land a trophy in his first season with United into the last 16 of the FA Cup and Europa League.
But any hopes of silverware is merely papering over the cracks for Scholes, who believes his former club require a new spine through the team with up to seven new faces needed.
“There are a few things that are concerning,” he told The Overlap Fan Debate. “There’s a lot of stuff he (Amorim) needs to do, we all know that, especially in transfer windows, but I don’t see a core of players.
“When you look at teams, you look right down the spine of a team. Liverpool: great goalkeeper, great centre half, forwards, midfielders, whatever. I don’t think United have any of that in any position.
“I think a new goalkeeper is needed, possibly two centre halves, two centre midfield players, and two centre forwards.
“Alright, I’ll go for one centre midfielder and one centre forward, but with a bit of stature, a bit of quality, and really create a spine. When you’ve got that spine right, then you can add bits to it.”
The 11-time Premier League title winner also called United’s current crop into question, in particular, the defence who have not covered themselves in glory this season.
Asked if he rates De Ligt, Scholes said: “Not really. Where are your ambitions? I’m talking about getting a team to win the Premier League.
“Are you going to win the Premier League with De Ligt and Yoro as your centre-halves? Is ‘quite good’ good enough for Manchester United?
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“Even when Lisandro Martinez is fit he’s not good enough to win the Premier League.
“With De Ligt, his age and his amount of clubs does concern me. He seems to have got worse as he’s got older. Those clubs have got rid of him for a reason.
“[Leny] Yoro is a young player but I haven’t liked what I’ve seen so far. Did you see the Southampton game? Look, he’s a young player and I would keep him in the squad.”
Scholes didn’t stop there with academy graduate Kobbie Mainoo the next in line for some critical analysis with the 50-year-old claiming the 19-year-old doesn’t boast high-level athleticism.
“I think Mainoo is lost,” Scholes added. “I’ve talked about Declan Rice being lost before – I think Mainoo is lost as well. They don’t know what to do with him.
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“I don’t think he knows where to play on a football pitch because he’s been played in one of the number 10 positions, he has been played in the two in the midfield, which I can see probably doesn’t suit him because I don’t think the greatest athlete.
“He’s a great footballer. I think the number 10 does suit, (but) the false nine, never in a million years.”
