Legendary former Manchester United midfielder Paul Scholes ran his eye over the club’s three most prominent midfield targets for 2026. While Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton came out on top of Brighton & Hove Albion’s Carlos Baleba and Elliot Anderson of Nottingham Forest, Scholes also offered several alternative solutions.
United’s history is signposted by great midfielders. From the days of Duncan Edwards’s domination in the 1950s, this illustrious lineage stretches through Bobby Charlton, Bryan Robson, Roy Keane and Scholes himself.
Ruben Amorim’s current iteration is made up of the naturally attack-minded Bruno Fernandes and Casemiro, who will be out of contract next summer, by which point he will also be 34. Speculation over new recruits is ramping up as the January transfer window creeps into view.
While the list of targets is constantly growing, the three names of Baleba, Anderson and Wharton stand out above the rest. Sky Sports challenged Scholes to assess which—if any—of this leading trio is worthy of continuing the legacy of great Manchester United midfielders.
3. Carlos Baleba
Scholes was the least impressed with the player United have been most strongly linked with. The Red Devils reportedly made formal contact with Brighton over a move for Baleba last summer only to be flatly rebuffed. Scholes may very well have considered that a blessing in disguise.
“Baleba is very young,” he said of the 21-year-old. “Quality-wise, is he quite there? I think he’s almost in a [Moisés] Caicedo type of way.”
Caicedo is arguably the Premier League’s best midfielder at the moment and looks worth every penny of his £115 million ($152 million) Chelsea paid to prise him away from Brighton two years ago. Yet, Scholes questioned whether this was the profile United need to pursue.
“He’s done really well at Chelsea, don’t get me wrong,” the former England international began, “but is that the type of player Manchester United need? I’m not sure.”
2. Elliot Anderson
Anderson’s concussive rise to prominence has caught the eye of England boss Thomas Tuchel as well as Scholes.
“I’d say, going off the England form, this has surprised me more than anything is Elliot Anderson,” United’s former No. 18 gushed. “I really liked him when he was at Newcastle, but I thought he was more of an attacking player, maybe play the 8 or 10. I don’t like saying numbers, but he looks more of an 8 or 10.
“He’s come into that role for England and looks very accomplished, very stylish. Keeps the ball really well, will pass it forward as well.”
But for all his qualities, Anderson doesn’t quite make the cut.
1. Adam Wharton
“I’d probably say I’d go Wharton,” Scholes unconvincingly concluded. “I just think Wharton’s got a little bit more quality. That’s tough saying that. I think he’s got more quality than Baleba.
“Baleba’s got more legs,” Scholes added, speaking figuratively, “so that evens itself out a little bit. It’s close between Elliot Anderson and Wharton. I’d just pick Wharton.”
Doubts persist for Scholes over the Crystal Palace playmaker. “Can he get around the pitch?” a player who suffered from asthma throughout his own career asked. “Old Trafford’s a big pitch. It’s a really big pitch to get around, and you need to have some physicality. You need to have legs in that position.”
Rather than any of Anderson, Wharton or Baleba, Scholes had a rather less realistic solution to United’s midfield conundrum. “Maybe you need two Bruno Fernandes,” he theorised.
“You need a Bruno Fernandes to be the playmaker, and one to be a No. 10 as well.”
In the absence of any cloning technology, Scholes pointed towards a figure already in Amorim’s squad as another solution.
Scholes Reveals ‘Most Disappointing’ Aspect of Ruben Amorim’s Reign
Scholes has always been a keen admirer of Kobbie Mainoo. The fellow Manchester United academy graduate famously compared his compatriot to Real Madrid icon Zinedine Zidane and is unimpressed with Amorim’s reluctance to use the 20-year-old.
“One of the most disappointing things for me is Kobbie Mainoo not being involved in this Manchester United team,” Scholes sighed.
“We saw how good he was 18 months, two years ago, and for some reason it’s not quite happened for him. The manager doesn’t seem to quite fancy him, but we all know the qualities he has.
“But the manager’s just for some reason preferring somebody else, and that’s something he has to deal with.” Scholes personally finds it difficult to deal with Mainoo’s absence, admitting his “frustration” at the sight of an increasingly rare homegrown talent sitting on the bench.
“He [Amorim] possibly doesn’t trust him [Mainoo] physically at the minute,” Scholes mused. “Casemiro isn’t the most physical, but he's streetwise. He knows the position, he’s done it for so many years in a great Real Madrid team, so he’s got that experience.
“Kobbie hasn’t quite got that experience yet. I think Kobbie, if he’s going to play, he needs to play in a midfield three, really. Manchester United don’t do that.”
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Paul Scholes Ranks Man Utd’s Top Three Midfield Transfer Targets.
