Paul Scholes has delivered a ruthless verdict on the Manchester United squad, naming eight players he would elect to sell in the upcoming summer transfer window.
Reviewing the side managed by former team-mate Michael Carrick, Scholes singled out Harry Maguire – whose new one-year contract, with an option for a further year, was confirmed on Tuesday – as someone he believes falls short of the standard required for a United team aiming to win the league and the Champions League.
Talking to Nicky Butt and Paddy McGuinness on The Good, The Bad & The Football podcast, Scholes said: ‘Look, I think he’s been really good and he’s brought himself back from the dead.
‘I think he’s been sensational, what he’s done. I’m so, so pleased for him, but I’m thinking about a United team you want to win the league and the Champions League, and that’s where United should be aiming.
‘I’m not sure you’d do that with Maguire, unless you’ve got someone like a Rio (Ferdinand) next to him, then possibly, yeah.’
Scholes revealed he would be torn between keeping Maguire or Matthijs de Ligt – who has been absent from the squad since November due to a back injury – but would ultimately lean towards keeping the 26-year-old Dutchman.
‘If it’s one of four (centre-backs), I’d have De Ligt in that as one of four. I think they’re both quite similar, but De Ligt is a little bit younger, so that’s on his side. He’s a little bit quicker, so I’d probably just go for De Ligt.’
Maguire was not the only defender to face Scholes’ judgement, with the former United midfielder also suggesting that Leny Yoro, Luke Shaw, Noussair Mazraoui and Patrick Dorgu should be heading for the exit door.
Dorgu joined United from Lecce for £25 million last February, brought in as an intended wing-back under Ruben Amorim. He struggled in that position and looked revitalised under Darren Fletcher and Michael Carrick until a hamstring injury at the end of January brought that to an end.
Scholes, though, has opted to axe the 21-year-old Dane.
‘They brought him in as a wing-back and he’s not really played there,’ he said. ‘I’d probably sell. I’m not sure what position he is. Again, if you keep him, then he’s just a squad player.’
The same went for Mazraoui, who joined alongside De Ligt in the summer of 2024 while Erik ten Hag was still at the reins.
‘Sell. I don’t know where he fits in. He’s been like a right-sided centre-half and they don’t play with three centre-halves any more. If there are three centre-halves, then you’d probably have him as one of five or six, but I think it’s probably time to let him go now.’
As for 20-year-old Yoro, who joined for £52 million from Lille in July 2024 amid links to Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain, Scholes said: ‘They paid a lot of money for him, but I think he’s struggled. I think there’s something in there, I think he needs a bit of time, but if you had to make a choice now, I’d probably sell him.’
Lisandro Martinez, who has been caught up in a war of words with Scholes and Butt in the past after the latter suggested that Erling Haaland would ‘pick him up and run with him’, just about escaped Scholes’ axe.
‘He’s got a great left foot. But are you winning the Champions League and Premier League with him? Again, I think every centre-half they’ve got, they need a better one next to them. I’d just keep him.’
As for Shaw, Scholes said: ‘When he was playing consistently, I don’t think there is a better left-back in the world, not just Europe. But if you’re asking me now – and he’s done alright appearance-wise this year – I’d sell him. He doesn’t play enough games.’
Turning to midfield, Mason Mount also failed to make it past Scholes’ analysis. The 27-year-old joined United from Chelsea for £55 million in 2023 but has struggled to escape injury issues, making just 67 appearances in all competitions since his arrival.
‘I’d probably sell him – and I like him, he’s a great footballer,’ Scholes said. ‘But he’s never going to play in front of Bruno Fernandes. I’m not sure what other position he could play and he doesn’t play enough games.’
On Manuel Ugarte, Scholes added: ‘I think he’ll go.’
As for Casemiro, who has announced he is leaving at the end of the season, Scholes believes this is the right decision to let the 34-year-old depart.
‘Another one who’s turned his fortunes, but they need strengthening in that position,’ he said.
Scholes was unsurprisingly full of praise for captain Bruno Fernandes, who has consistently been one of United’s best players, while Butt warned that the club ‘will have to sit him down and explain where it is going and what the players are targeting because he could go to any club he wants’.
United are planning to rebuild their midfield this summer, with Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton, Newcastle’s Sandro Tonali and Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson high on their list of targets.
Scholes, perhaps somewhat optimistically, said: ‘They probably need two of the three. I’d probably take all three.’
