Paul Scholes shares brutal Man Utd plans to sell TWO fan favourites and warns ‘this will hurt’

Paul Scholes has revealed the unpopular double sacrifice he has heard Manchester United are planning to make this summer to aid Ruben Amorim’s squad rebuild at Old Trafford, while also having shared his concerns at the major failures of their recruitment strategy that has left the manager seriously weak in a key position.

The Red Devils have stuttered and stumbled their way through the season, with Sunday’s drab 0-0 draw at home to Manchester City pretty much summing things up and reinforced the likelihood of Manchester United suffering their first bottom-half finish in the Premier League era. And with the players struggling to adjust to Amorim’s 3-4-2-1 formation, a major rebuild is expected to be on the cards this summer.

However, having splashed out some £180m over the 2024 summer window and having also brought in Patrick Dorgu during January, funds at Old Trafford are expected to be tight and particularly with Sir Jim Ratcliffe documenting the difficulties the club faces in ensuring they don’t breach the Premier League’s strict Profit and Sustainability Rules.

As a result, United may need to sell before they can buy this summer, and, as two of their more sellable assets, Scholes believes that two young stars in Kobbie Mainoo and Alejandro Garnacho will both be sacrificed to the highest bidder.

“It has to be a major concern,” Scholes told Premier League Productions.

“Where’s the money coming from for new signings? We saw those interviews with Sir Jim and they didn’t make good reading.

“It doesn’t look like Ruben Amorim will get a war chest to go to war with. It doesn’t feel like that.

“I get the impression, and I could be wrong, but I think they might sell the two young players. I think they might sell Mainoo and Garnacho.

“Maybe they sell them this summer. The Mainoo one would hurt. They both would. Garnacho came later but Mainoo has been at the club since he was a kid.

“He had a brilliant season last year and it makes the academy system look bad if a player like him can’t make it and they have to sell him.

“I hope I’m wrong, I hope they don’t do that, but the noises I hear, it is a big concern.”

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Scholes feels Amorim is handicapped by past Man Utd transfer mistakes

Garnacho, in particular, is one player the club could look to cash in on and an offer worth in the region of £50m could yet tempt them to sell a player whom they were open to letting leave in the winter window.

It’s a similar story with Mainoo, who is currently locked in negotiations over an extended deal at Old Trafford. And while we understand the teenager’s priority remains on staying at the club he has supported as a boy and has a long association with, his demands for a deal worth £150,000 a week have already been batted away by Ratcliffe, and with the co-owner now keeping a far tighter rein on all contract negotiations.

As a result, our transfer insider Fraser Fletcher is adamant that the prospect of Mainoo being sold can not be completely ruled out and with Chelsea very much among his admirers and open to any opportunity of bringing the 10-cap England star to London.

With Scholes fearing a difficult summer ahead, the pundit does have some sympathy with Amorim, and he feels he is already paying a heavy price for the club’s mistakes over the last few years and beyond in the transfer market.

Reflecting on their “terrible recruitment”, Scholes added: “Ruben Amorim hasn’t got the ammunition at the moment to go out and score goals. He’s got Bruno who’s capable but the others aren’t goalscorers.

“You look at the recruitment for the last few years and think, how on earth have United only got one centre forward who doesn’t score goals? It’s incredible.

“I don’t remember there being much competition for some of the players they’ve signed. I don’t remember there being a fight for Zirkzee, Ugarte, Antony.

“They’re not fighting for players who other teams want and that’s possibly a problem as well. It’s bad recruitment, terrible recruitment.”

Man Utd transfer latest: Osimhen discount offered; huge Antony proposal

United’s summer kitty, though, could also be boosted if they manage to offload Antony and hopes of his exit have claimed in recent weeks off the back of an impressive loan spell with Real Betis.

Now reports in Spain claim a huge offer has landed on their desk from Atletico Madrid for Antony, with the LaLiga giants’ big package having blown the Brazilian’s loan club, Betis, away.

On the subject of a new striker, United’s prospects of signing Victor Osimhen have received a major TRIPLE lift after the striker’s thoughts on moving to the Premier League came to light and it emerged that Napoli were prepared to offer the Red Devils a discount to help facilitate a move and take one of their rivals out of the race.

He’s not the only new No.9 on their wanted list, either, and reports on Monday also claim United have made an opening offer to sign a prolific frontman who boasts 43 goals in 43 appearances so far this season.

And finally, it’s claimed that United plan to bolster their goalkeeping position by swooping to sign ‘one of the best free agent stoppers around this summer’ with a raid on a neighbouring side from the second tier now in the works.

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