Paul Scholes fires warning to Manchester United over Ruben Amorim’s £100m transfer target

Paul Scholes has urged Manchester United to ditch their interest in Carlos Baleba in favour of targeting two other Premier League midfielders.

Ruben Amorim wants to welcome a new midfielder to Old Trafford in January after missing out on a player of that profile last summer.

United expressed interest in signing Baleba but baulked at Brighton’s steep asking price of £100m.

Manchester United were also caution of overspending in one transfer window after paying over £200m for Benjamin Sesko, Bryan Mbeumo, Matheus Cunha and Senne Lammens.

Amorim has drawn up a long list of midfield targets ahead of the January transfer window, however, and is believed to be putting pressure on United to revive their interest in Baleba.

The 21-year-old Cameroon international quickly established himself as one of the best midfielders in the world last season but has endured a more underwhelming 2025-26 campaign.

Scholes has questioned whether Baleba has the ‘quality’ to make the leap to Manchester United and doubts he is the ‘type of player’ that Amorim needs.

The Premier League legend would prefer to see Adam Wharton or Elliot Anderson arrive at his former club despite also having question marks over the Crystal Palace and Nottingham Forest midfielders.

‘I think all three of them are really good players,’ Scholes told Sky Sports. ‘Baleba is very young, but they’re all quite young, aren’t they?

‘But Baleba is very young. Quality-wise, is he quite there? I think he’s almost in a Caicedo type of way.

‘He’s done really well at Chelsea, don’t get me wrong, but is that the type of player Manchester United need? I’m not sure.

‘Adam Wharton is, again, a really good player. Can he get around the pitch? Old Trafford’s a big pitch. It’s a really big pitch to get around, and you need to have some physicality. You need to have legs in that position.

‘I’d say, going off the England form, this has surprised me more than anything is Elliot Anderson.

‘I really liked him when he was at Newcastle, but I thought he was more of an attacking player, maybe play the 8 or 10. I don’t like saying numbers, but he looks more of an 8 or 10.

‘He’s come into that role for England and looks very accomplished, very stylish. Keeps the ball really well, will pass it forward as well. I’d like to see all three of them.

‘I’d probably say I’d go Wharton. I still don’t think they’re any of the Manchester United style midfield players, they’re more the style of football these days.

‘I just think Wharton’s got a little bit more quality. That’s tough saying that. I think he’s got more quality than Baleba.

‘Baleba’s got more legs, so that evens itself out a little bit. It’s close between Elliot Anderson and Wharton. I’d just pick Wharton.’

Amorim’s desire to sign a new midfielder stems partly from his lack of trust in current Manchester United star Kobbie Mainoo.

Mainoo’s breakthrough season at Old Trafford earned him a place in England’s Euro 2024 squad and he started the final against Spain at the age of 19.

But he has struggled for game-time under Amorim, who has claimed Mainoo is fighting for the same place in the team as United captain Bruno Fernandes.

Discussing Mainoo’s frustrating spell at the club, Scholes added: ‘Kobbie Mainoo came on the other night [against Everton], he needs games of football, it looks like he was a little bit off the pace of the night because he’s not played. You can expect that.

‘One of the most disappointing things for me is Kobbie Mainoo not being involved in this Manchester United team.

‘We saw how good he was 18 months, two years ago, and for some reason it’s not quite happened for him. The manager doesn’t seem to quite fancy him, but we all know the qualities he has.

‘But the manager’s just for some reason preferring somebody else, and that’s something he has to deal with. I think he’s dealt with it quite well at this minute, but at some point, he will get frustrated.

‘As I’m frustrated with watching Manchester United at times as well, and especially with Kobbie Mainoo, because home-grown talent, we don’t have many of them anymore, and we want him in our team.

‘He [Amorim] possibly doesn’t trust him physically at the minute. Casemiro isn’t the most physical, but he’s streetwise. He knows the position, he’s done it for so many years in a great Real Madrid team, so he’s got that experience.

‘Kobbie hasn’t quite got that experience yet. I think Kobbie, if he’s going to play, he needs to play in a midfield three, really. Manchester United don’t do that.

‘They’ve got a midfield two with two 10s. So, for him to get one of those positions is something he’s got to work his way into doing now. Maybe you need two Bruno Fernandes.

‘You need a Bruno Fernandes to be the playmaker, and one to be a No 10 as well. I think Kobbie Mainoo is more than capable of being that playmaker, next to a Casemiro or a [Manuel] Ugarte.

‘I think he’s clever enough in possession, but for some reason the manager doesn’t seem to think he’s the answer at the minute.’

Manchester United’s encouraging run of form came to an end on Monday night as Amorim’s side lost 1-0 at home to ten-man Everton.

The Red Devils, currently 10th in the Premier League, will attempt to return to winning ways on Sunday when they visit Crystal Palace.

That fixture ended goalless last season but Palace will have fond memories of playing United having won 2-0 at Old Trafford back in February.

Oliver Glasner’s Eagles have enjoyed a strong start to the season, climbing to fifth in the Premier League, but lost to Strasbourg in the Conference League last time out.

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