Manchester United and Ruben Amorim are reportedly interested in two top-class centre-half signings, as club legend Paul Scholes suggested they should be.
Despite the arrival of Amorim and the ousting of Erik ten Hag promising so much, the change of the guard has, so far, produced very little. The Portuguese boss has won just four of his first 13 Premier League games, and the Red Devils sit in 13th – a far cry from what is expected of them.
Scholes, whose entire career was played out with United, has already had his say, arguing that, among other positions, two new world-class central defenders should be invested in. And it seems the club and Amorim mirror such thoughts.
“There are a few things that are concerning,” Scholes told The Overlap Fan Debate, touching on his former club. “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.”
According to The Sun, AFC Bournemouth’s Dean Huijsen, a revelation for the high-flying Cherries, will be on United’s radar when the summer window rolls around. German outlet BILD also reports that RB Leipzig’s young French centre-back, Castello Lukeba, is another in whom the Red Devils have expressed an interest.
Bournemouth’s 19-year-old Spaniard is widely regarded as one of the Premier League’s most prodigious young defensive talents, and plenty of clubs are supposedly sniffing around. Such widespread interest may be inspired by Huijsen’s alleged £55million release clause that activates in July.
Lukeba is another with a release clause, sitting a little higher at a reported £75m. It is rumoured that the 22-year-old, who only joined Leipzig from Lyon in 2023, is preparing for a mega deal this summer, and as Scholes has wished, United could be the ones to make it happen.
Join our new MAN UTD WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Manchester United content from Mirror Football. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
Sky has slashed the price of its Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle in an unbeatable new deal that saves £192 and includes 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more.
Can United mount a title challenge? Get our FREE daily Manchester United email newsletter