Paul Scholes has encouraged Manchester United to completely overhaul their first team in the summer, naming eight players he would strongly consider offloading if he was in charge of the club.
United have moved up to third in the Premier League table after a remarkable revival under the caretaker manager Michael Carrick in the wake of Ruben Amorimhis discharge.
Without the distraction of any cup competition during their run, the Red Devils look well placed to secure Champions League qualification for the first time since their group stage exit in 2023.
Given that United sit seven points clear of sixth place Chelsea with seven games remaining, it would take an almighty collapse for Carrick’s men to miss out on Europe’s premier club competition.
Old Trafford bosses spent in the region of £200m to bolster their misfiring attack last summer, as Benjamin Sesko, Matheus Cunha AND Bryan Mbeumo all signed on the dotted line for big bucks.
Senne Lammens was also brought in from Royal Antwerp for a fee of around £18m and has provided an assured presence between the sticks that was sorely lacking when Andre Onana was number one.
But attention is starting to turn back to the transfer market, with United’s hierarchy ready to release even more funds identifying central midfield as a key area of focus.
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Casemiro confirmed in January that this season would be his last at the Theater of Dreams and several players will be expected to follow the Brazilian out the door when the transfer window opens for business.
In the last The good, the bad and football podcast, Scholes discussed potential changes while playing a game of “Hold or Sell?” with former United team-mate Nicky Butt.
The legendary former United and England midfielder pulled no punches with his answers, going into some detail about which squad members he thinks should be safe – and those who should be on the block.
If it were up to Scholes, Harry Maguire, Leny Yoro, Noussair Mazraoui, Patrick Dorgu, Luke Shaw, Mason Mount, Manuel Ugarte and Joshua Zirkzee would all be in the frame to leave alongside Casemiro.
Keep or Sell? United’s goalkeeper and centre-backs
Senne Lammens
Scholes: ‘Keep it’.
Matthijs De Ligt
Scholes: ‘I think it would be between him and Harry Maguire who would you keep i think you will only keep one of them. If he (De Ligt) was fit, I would probably just go for him.”
Harry Maguire
Scholes: ‘Look, I think he’s been very good and he’s brought himself back from the dead really. I think he’s been sensational with what he’s done, I’m very pleased for him, but I’m thinking about one Manchester United the team that wants to win the league and Champions League and that is where United should aim. I’m not sure you would do that with Maguire, unless you have someone like Rio (Ferdinand) next to him, then maybe, yes.
“It’s Manchester United, you have to talk to win Premier League. If it’s one of four, you’d probably take it, but I’d have De Ligt in this one as one of four. I think they’re both quite similar but De Ligt is a bit younger so it’s on his side, he’s a bit quicker so I’d probably just go for De Ligt.’
Lysander Martinez
Scholes: ‘You know what? Then we publicly got some s*** (for their recent comments about Martinez), in all seriousness, when he was playing I thought he was really good. Yeah, I really think he was really good. When I’m talking about one of the four, you think of Maguire and De Ligt with a Martinez… I don’t think he fits them. I think they need someone more dominant, faster, stronger, someone who takes the ball from the centre-forwards, ‘Go away!’, Jaap Stam, Rio Ferdinand.
“The one thing I like about him is he’s got a great left foot, he plays really well, but are you winning the Premier League, the Champions League with him as a centre-half? Again, I think every centre-half they have, they need a better one next to them.
“I’d probably just keep it.”
Lena Yoro
Scholes: “I think he’s struggled, me. I think there’s something inside, I think he needs some time, but if I had to make a choice now, I’d probably sell him.’
Keep or Sell? United full-backs
Diogo Sharing
Scholes: “Just keep it. He’s a team player for me.’
Noussair Mazraoui
Scholes: ‘For sale. I don’t know where it fits. He has been like a right centre-half and they don’t play with three center halves anymore. if it’s going to be the center three, then you’d probably have him as one of the five or six, but I think maybe it’s time to let him go now.’
Patrick Dorgu
Scholes: “They brought him in as a full-back and he hasn’t played much there. I’d probably sell. I’m not sure what position he is. Again, if you keep him then he’s just a squad player.’
Luke Shaw
Scholes: “When he was playing consistently, I don’t think there was a better left-back in the world, not just in Europe. But if you’re asking me now, and he’s done well this year from the looks of it, I’d sell him. He doesn’t play enough games.”
Keep or Sell? United midfielders
Mason Mount
Scholes: “I’d probably sell him and I like him, he’s a great footballer. But he’ll never play in front of Bruno Fernandes. I’m not sure what other position he can play in and he doesn’t play enough games.”
Bruno Fernandes
Scholes: “Talk about player of the year, in a team that in the first half of the season was terrible, he could be that player. Keep him.’
Scholes: ‘Yes, I think that’s right (he’s going). I think he has turned his fortunes around, he has been very good, but United need to massively strengthen in that position.”
Manual Ugart
Scholes: “I think he will go.”
Kobe Mainoo
Scholes: ‘Keep it’.
Keep or Sell? United strikers
Matheus Cunha
Scholes: ‘Keep it’.
Joshua Zirkzee
Scholes: ‘For sale’.
Amada Dial it
Scholes: ‘Keep it’.
Bryan Mbeumo
Scholes: ‘Keep it’.
Benjamin Sesco
Scholes: ‘Keep it. I like him, me, I think it’s good.’
United have a week to go before they return to action at home to bitter rivals Leeds in the Premier League.
The Red Devils have not played since dropping points in a 2-2 draw at Bournemouth in March 2020 and will spend the next few days putting in the hard yards in an intensive training camp in Dublin.
Carrick has named a 25-man party for the trip to the Republic of Ireland, with Martinez and Dorgu both included after layoffs.
Dalot and Tom Heaton are absent through illness, while De Ligt is yet to return from a back injury he picked up in November.
After the Leeds clash, United’s Champions League side take on Chelsea, Brentford, Liverpool, Sunderland and Nottingham Forest, before traveling to Brighton on the final day of the season.
Will Man Utd secure Champions League qualification?
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