Paul Scholes has warned Manchester United that they must sign at least five players in the summer transfer window or risk being dragged into a relegation battle next season. The former United midfielder expressed his concerns during an appearance on The Overlap Fan Debate, highlighting the club's lack of a strong spine in the squad.
United currently sit 13th in the Premier League, just 12 points above the relegation zone, after a dismal campaign under manager Ruben Amorim. Amorim has won only six of his 13 top-flight matches since replacing Erik ten Hag, losing seven. The club added full-back Patrick Dorgu in January, but Scholes believes far more is needed.
“I think a new goalkeeper is needed, possibly two centre-halves, two centre-midfield players, and two centre-forwards,” Scholes said. “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.”
Scholes stressed the importance of getting the summer recruitment right, warning that failure to do so could have dire consequences. “If they don't get that right this summer, this might sound ridiculous, but the form since this manager is in, they could be looking at relegation. I'm telling you, it's been so bad,” he added.
Centre-forward has been a particular problem, with neither Rasmus Hojlund nor Joshua Zirkzee impressing. Hojlund, a £72m signing in 2022, showed frustration during the recent win over Leicester, but Amorim defended his attitude. “It's a good thing. He needs to understand that sometimes he has to do a job without touching the ball,” Amorim said. “A striker needs a very good team to deliver very good balls for him, and we are not helping our strikers at the moment.”
