Manchester United legend Paul Scholes has dubbed PSG’s Marquinhos the ideal centre-back to partner Harry Maguire if the club are to once again challenge for the Premier League title.
The Red Devils finished runners-up in 2020/21 for only the second time in eight years post-Sir Alex Ferguson but the club are yet to mount a serious challenge for supremacy in the English top flight since the revered Glaswegian bowed out.
Scholes, who won 11 Premier League titles under Ferguson, believes that could change if the makers and shakers at Old Trafford back Ole Gunnar Solskjaer this summer window and the Norwegian upgrades his rearguard.
The Maguire-Victor Lindelof partnership at centre-back has been one of the cornerstones of Solskjaer’s fast-break system at Old Trafford, with the latter able to distribute with pace and precision, particularly from long range.
However, Scholes thinks his former teammate, Solskjaer, will struggle to usurp Manchester City in the coming seasons unless he bolsters his backline, identifying PSG skipper Marquinhos as the perfect foil for Maguire.
He told the Webby & O’Neill show: “I would like to see a centre-half come in next to Maguire.
“I think [Victor] Lindelof is doing alright, I just think alright isn’t good enough to win a league.
“Marquinhos from PSG, I think he’d be a brilliant centre-half next to Maguire but again you’re talking about a lot of money.”
“Grealish or Sancho would be ideal”
The former midfield general went on to give his thoughts on where improvements could be made further up the field, believing a creative type would seriously amp up the attacking flair of Solskjaer’s team.
Among those to have been heavily linked with an Old Trafford switch in recent years, Jack Grealish and Jadon Sancho regularly crop up in the conversation, and Scholes has thrown his weight behind the narrative, namedropping both players.
CLICK HERE to claim Virgin Bet’s new customer offer. 18+ only. £10 min deposit & bet on sportsbook, placed & settled at 1.5 min odds within 14 days of sign-up. Win part of E/W bets. 2 non-withdrawable £10 Free Bet Tokens: accept in 7 days, valid for 7 days from acceptance (ex. E/Ws & Multiples), stakes not returned. Bet Responsibly. GambleAware.org.
He added: “I think we need someone who is a creative midfield player. Grealish or Sancho, one of them would be ideal.
“It would be great to have a left-footed centre-back but I don’t think it’s needed, I don’t think we are desperate for that.”