Paul Scholes has raised doubts about Manchester United forwards Rasmus Hojlund & Joshua Zirkzee, while slamming the club's transfer policy.
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Man Utd endure poor start to seasonScholes raises doubts about Hojlund & ZirkzeeSays club's spending is a "mess"Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
The Red Devils legend believes his old team have spent a "ridiculous" amount of money on signings in recent transfer windows. He also raised concerns about the goalscoring ability of Hojlund and Zirkzee and the fact that summer recruits Manuel Ugarte and Matthijs De Ligt are not always first-team regulars – with Jonny Evans preferred in defence against Aston Villa.
AdvertisementGetty Images SportWHAT PAUL SCHOLES SAID
He told SuperSport: "In forward areas especially, I just don't think the quality is there. We go back to the most successful teams, they're capable of scoring goals. What have we scored? Five goals in seven games. Now we had three or four forwards who could get you 20 goals so you're looking at 80 goals a season there and I just don't see that in the forward line at Manchester United. Look, Hojlund does alright but is he gonna score you 20 goals? I don't think so. Zirkzee… what is he? Is he a No.9 or a No.10? Is he going to get you 20 goals? I don't think so. I think they're relying more on hope than actual proven quality and they spent so much money as well. It's a ridiculous amount of money and some of them can't get in the team! You think of Ugarte coming into the club who was supposed to change the way the midfield was… he didn't play him. De Ligt, £50m and he didn't play him. Jonny Evans has come in at 36 years old instead of him. Martinez, Ten Hag brought him into the club. What's he thinking today? Jonny Evans is playing, Maguire started, [Victor] Lindelof comes on before him. It's just a recruitment mess really."
THE BIGGER PICTURE
United have spent more than £600 million ($785m) on players since Ten Hag became manager in the summer of 2022 – and yet they seem to be going backwards. They have endured their worst-ever start to a Premier League season, are struggling for goals, and Ten Hag's future is under intense scrutiny again.
GettyWHAT NEXT?
Following the conclusion of the latest international break, United, who sit 14th in the table with just eight points from seven games, return to Premier League on October 19 at home to Brentford.