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Former Manchester United midfielder and 11-time Premier League champion Paul Scholes believes that the Red Devils need defensive reinforcements in January. Scholes stated that United should make a surprise move for 20-year-old Leicester City defender Wesley Fofana.
Speaking about his former team's poor performances against the bigger teams this season, Scholes revealed that he believes there is scope for improvement in the Manchester United backline.
"As a back-four, I worry about how good they really are," said Scholes. "At full-back, Aaron Wan-Bissaka is just about defending, which is fine for a game at Liverpool, but I’m not sure what Luke Shaw brings to the team. In the middle, Ole still has to find Harry Maguire’s best partner."
"Eric Bailly has pace, but he is rash and picks up too many injuries. Victor Lindelof plays the position better but he is not totally convincing. If I was Ole and could sign a defender this month, I’d go for Wesley Fofana at Leicester. He’s only 20, but he has been outstanding and he has the potential to be anything he wants to be," Scholes added.
Manchester United have been exposed when they play the big teams: Paul Scholes
Scholes' claim for a change in the Manchester United backline comes ahead of the Red Devils' highly-anticipated trip to Anfield on Sunday. Scholes believes this is a fixture he won with his former team without always outplaying the opposition.
"When we won titles, so many of our wins at Liverpool were 1-0 or 2-1 after having to dig it out for 80 minutes. You accept you’re going to have days like that against the top teams when you don’t dominate the game and have to battle to stay in it," said Scholes.
The former England international went on to say that with the caliber of teams in the Premier League, Manchester United need to win more games against the bigger teams by digging deep and defending better.
"You have to be able to defend properly and withstand the opposition’s attacks, but I’m still to be convinced that this United side can do that," noted Scholes. "United have done OK at the back this season, but they have been exposed when playing against the big teams and that’s another problem they need to solve."
Manchester United take on Liverpool in the Premier League on Sunday with an opportunity to go six points clear of their rivals at the top.
