Paul Scholes is confident INEOS will be looking to strengthen one area of Ruben Amorim’s squad as soon as the window opens.
Manchester United fans are expecting a drastic overhaul ahead of what will be Amorim’s first full campaign in the dugout. Acquiring players who fit his system to a T is crucial if the team are to be among the European places next term, as well as in the mix for cup silverware.
In turn, it may be time to cut ties with some Reds prematurely. You’d struggle to find many supporters who’d bat an eye if all of Andre Onana, Mason Mount and Rasmus Hojlund were sold and recuperated respectable fees – just two years on from United forking out over £160 million on the trio to fulfil Erik ten Hag’s demands.
Barring a drastic turnaround in form, Hojlund is one who could well be offloaded due to him having suitors monitoring his situation. If United concede that he is simply not cut out to lead the line in the Premier League, Fabrizio Romano has already confirmed Serie A clubs are waiting in the wings, ready to offer him a route back to Serie A – where he spent the 2022/2023 term with Atalanta.
Scholes: Garnacho and Hojlund are in risk of being replaced
Elsewhere, Alejandro Garnacho, another who’s seemingly regressed this season, remains of interest to Napoli after their £40m bid was rebuffed in January. Around the time the winter window closed, it was also reported that Chelsea believed they’d ‘laid the groundwork’ for a potential deal for the Argentine, having held talks with his representatives at the start of the year.
Alas, Scholes actually singled out the duo last night for their lacklustre performances in the first leg of United’s Europa League quarter-final, suggesting the two young forwards are poised to be replaced in the coming months.
“You look at the goal record from the last 25, 26 games. I think Garnacho scored one, and Rasmus Hojlund scored three in the Premier League this season. It’s not quite up to the level I think it is needed,” the ex-midfielder told the TNT Sports panel.
“So I think improvements are going to have to be made in that area of pitch [in the summer transfer window]. But I think improvements right through the team are going to be needed. We’ve all watched the Champions League games on Tuesday, Wednesday night. You watch the level of that game tonight, and it’s way below where you need to be.
“As we saw, especially in that first half, there was a time when the ball went up to Hojlund and into Garnacho. They’re so erratic and so poor in possession that there’s almost no belief in them either. There’s no conviction in what they’re trying to do. We all know goals are a big problem for this team, and quality is needed all around this team to make it anywhere near a Champions League ...
