Manchester United legend questions two major summer decisions

Report: Scholes Questions United’s Transfer Decisions and Demands ‘Common Sense’

Paul Scholes has voiced his frustration at Manchester United’s latest transfer approach, accusing the club of failing to learn from past errors. Speaking on The Good, The Bad and The Football podcast, the former midfielder criticised United’s decision to sell Rasmus Hojlund and replace him with Benjamin Sesko, describing the move as “exactly the same” mistake made two years ago.

Hojlund, who joined from Atalanta in 2023, managed 26 goals in 95 appearances for United before being loaned to Napoli. Under Antonio Conte, he has rediscovered his touch, scoring four times in his opening six games in Serie A. Yet, instead of giving the young striker more time to develop, United sanctioned a £73.7 million move for 22-year-old Sesko from RB Leipzig.

“You look at Rasmus Hojlund, 22-year-old kid, came when he was 20 years of age,” Scholes said. “One centre-forward for Manchester United and everything was on him, the pressure was on him and he couldn’t handle it. He should be coming in and out of the team. There should be three or four centre-forwards there.”

His criticism was pointed and familiar, highlighting what many perceive as a recurring theme of impatience and poor planning at Old Trafford. “This summer, what do they do? They let him go and they buy another one, very similar, exactly the same! 22 years of age. He’s started ok, he looks like he’s getting better. But where’s the common sense in that?”

Lessons from United’s Past

Scholes compared the situation to his own early days at the club, when youth was carefully managed and balanced by experienced leaders. Recalling Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s introduction in 1996, Scholes painted a clear contrast. “It’s like Ole coming over to us when he was 22 and we had no other centre-forward and he was the one playing every week. You’d kill him!”

At that time, Solskjaer was eased in alongside Eric Cantona, Andy Cole, and later Teddy Sheringham and Dwight Yorke. It was an era where youth flourished under the protection of proven quality. That culture, Scholes argued, no longer exists.

Nicky Butt, part of United’s famous Class of ’92 alongside Scholes, echoed those concerns. He believes that the current squad does little to shield emerging players from the pressures of performing at Old Trafford. “That’s us as well, when we played. They all talk about our group coming through. But we didn’t play every game, we weren’t in every week with all the pressure on our shoulders,” Butt said.

“You look to your left and you’d have Roy Keane, you look to your right and you’d have Bryan Robson or Brian McClair. You’re surrounded by unbelievable players and you think, it’s easy for me because I can play 6 out of 10 today and we’re still going to win because we’ve got all these players around us. They don’t have that now. I do feel sorry for the players.”

Butt’s remarks underline a wider issue of imbalance and lack of structure within United’s dressing room. Without the experienced backbone that once defined the club’s success, young signings like Sesko are burdened with responsibility before they are fully ready.

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Ruben Amorim, who oversaw a significant overhaul in the summer, now faces mounting pressure to make his changes work. The departures of Hojlund, Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Antony have left fans questioning the club’s long-term vision. In their place, Sesko, Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha were brought in to revitalise United’s attack.

Amorim has remained positive, praising Sesko’s development since arriving. He called him “a different type of profile inside the box” and “someone who can improve the connection with his team-mates.” Those words will need to translate into consistent performances, particularly with a daunting trip to Anfield next on the schedule.

United’s upcoming fixture against Arne Slot’s Liverpool, the reigning Premier League champions, will serve as a real test of Amorim’s rebuild. For Scholes, however, the fundamental question remains the same: has United truly learned from its past, or are the same mistakes simply being repeated with different names?