“My toughest opponent? Scholes of Manchester. He is the complete midfielder”
“Scholes is undoubtedly the best midfielder of his generation”.

Zinedine Zidane

Out of everyone at Manchester United, I would pick out Scholes- he is the best midfielder of his generation. I would have loved to play alongside him”.
Pep Guardiola

“In the last 15 to 20 years the best central midfielder that I have seen — the most complete — is Scholes. I have spoken with Xabi Alonso about this many times. Scholes is a spectacular player who has everything. He can play the final pass, he can score, he is strong, he never gets knocked off the ball and he doesn’t give possession away. If he had been Spanish then maybe he would have been valued more”.
Xavi Hernandez

When I first meet someone at a party, I exchange the usual formalities, and then I ask them one question to evaluate whether or not that person is a good human being. That question is “Do You Like Seinfeld?” If they answer yes, then I know the person is worth my time.  I have a similar method for determining whether or not someone knows anything about football, and that is asking them “What do you think of Paul Scholes?”.

If you have had the privilege to watch Scholes throughout his career, you do not need any reminding of why he was such a prodigious talent. One could spend thousands of words quoting famous footballing minds and amassing superlatives that pay tribute to the Ginger Prince, but that would be far too easy. A more arduous task would be dissecting exactly how Manchester United will replace a player that has frequently been described by his contemporaries as the best midfielder of his generation. United have already splashed over £50m (reportedly) on transfers, and fans are beginning to grow anxious over who will replace their midfield maestro.

Since the announcement of his retirement, a bevy of names have been mentioned as possible replacements. Here are six of them and my opinion regarding whether they’ll be able to

Xabi Alonso

In recent times there have been a mere handful of players that have been able to take control of games from the midfield as Scholes has. Xabi Alonso is one of those players. From a technical and tactical point of view, Xabi Alonso would be a dream signing. His range of passing is superb, he has the ability to manage the tempo of a game, has fine long distance shooting, and is not shy about getting stuck in. From a tactical standpoint his insertion into the squad would be seamless. Xabi operates best as a deep lying playmaker, and he would allow United to maintain the current shape of the team they have. That coupled with the fact that the player is already Premier League proven makes Xabi Alonso a tantalizing prospect for United fans. Is this transfer feasible? Not terribly so. Alsonso has recently suggested that there remains a possibility of him returning to Liverpool some day and has always confessed his admiration for Merseyside and the Kop. It is hard to see him pulling on the United shirt, but with Real Madrid amassing an almost City-esque squad it would seem more likely that they trim some of the older members off the squad.

Estimated Cost: £15m
Transfer Fit to United: A
Likelihood of Transfer: C-

Marek Hamsik

The Slovakian captain has been a revelation for Napoli since their rise from Serie B. A highly versatile player who is deployed as an attacking midfielder, either centrally or to the left, can also play in a deeper role as he sometimes does for Slovakia. While he isn’t necessarily the quickest player around, he possesses great energy and can cover large parts of the midfield, something United desperately needs. Hamsik has a prolific goal scoring record thus far in his short career with 41 goals in 140 appearances, that coupled with his young age of 23 (soon to be 24) makes him an ideal replacement for Scholes. As far as tactics are concerned, it would be interesting to see if Hamsik could adapt to United’s domestic 4-4-2. He is more than capable of playing in a central midfield pairing, but he would need an industrial partner to allow him the freedom to roam forward and truly express his talents. Whether or not Fletcher or Anderson can be that partner is yet to be determined. His role would be best in Europe playing in the central 3 with one forward up top, allowing him to make his late darting runs into the box that his gained him such praise in Serie A. However, with a plethora of forwards to choose from and Sir Alex’s disposition towards deploying Rooney in that role it may be difficult to accommodate Hamsik.  Napoli has performed the usual song and dance by claiming they have no intention of selling this player, and with them making a foray into the Champions League this season it may be difficult to pry Hamsik from the Azzurri. However, everyone has their price and if United submit a sizable fee it is any one’s guess to how it could play out.

Estimated Cost: £27m
Transfer Fit to United: A-
Transfer likelihood: B

Wesley Sneijder

Wesley Sneijder, Wesley Sneijder, Wesley Sneijder. This is the one marquee name that United fans have been clamoring for. A star in the Champions League for Inter Milan a year ago and a strong showing at the World Cup in Africa has raised Sneijder from another Madrid burnout to a player worthy of being deemed “World Class”. Whether or not he is the right fit for United is an entirely different subject altogether. “But surely you must be crazy? Why in the world would one of the best midfielders in the world not be good for Manchester United?”. Wesley Sneijder has played in a few different positions throughout his career, but the only role he has ever excelled in is the trequartista role, be it for Inter or the Netherlands. He dominated in this role in under Mourinho in Inter’s 4-3-1-2 and for the Netherlands he consistently performs best as the trequartista in their 4-2-3-1. Nothing in Sneijders CV convinces this writer that he could play in Manchester United’s 4-4-2. That is not to say that he couldn’t, but he has not played in a formation similar to ours since his Ajax days. Sneijder can deliver a spot kick to perfection, his range of passing is impeccable, but playing him in a central midfield of a 4-4-2 would leave United incredibly unbalanced. Sneijder is consistantly amongst the slowest players on the pitch, his defensive abilities are severely lacking, and his work rate tracking back is suspect. For matches against tougher opponents Sneijder would be a dream to have, he would fit into United’s 3 man central midfield effortlessly, and would have the luxury of two supporting midfielders to cover his defensive shortcomings. The only issue is that formation is used roughly 20-25% of the time.Sneijder has been sending out mixed messages on his future since the end of the Serie A campaign and with the disorder that has followed Mourinho’s exit it would seem that Sneijder is looking to ply his trade elsewhere. Fergie’s transfer policy of late has been to sign undervalued players and nurture them as they ascend into the peak of their careers. Sneijder having just turned 27 is in all likelihood experiencing his peak currently, and that coupled with the fact that he would fetch an extremely generous transfer fee makes the signing of the Dutchmen highly unlikely.

Estimated Cost: £40
Transfer Fit to United: B/B-
Transfer Likelihood: C+

Luka Modric

Luka Modric is the most underrated player in the world, a bold statement, but a true one none the less. In a season where Gareth Bale has stolen the headlines with less than a handful of stellar performances, Luka Modric has quietly been one of the most impressive midfielders in Europe. Talk to any Spurs fan and they will tell you the same, Luka Modric is the best player on their team, and there is a reason they shutter at the thought of losing him this summer. Since his move from Dinamo Zagreb in 2008, Modric has been pulling the strings of Tottenham’s midfield with amazing efficiency and guile. Like Paul Scholes, he does not put up the best stat lines or embark on Messi like runs, but if you watch Luka Modric for an entire match it would take a footballing novice not to appreciate the ability of the diminutive Croatian. As mentioned earlier in the article, there are few players in the world that can truly manage and dictate a game for a team, and Modric is one of those few. His short to medium passing range is on par with the best players in the world, he has bundles of energy, and perhaps what is most striking about this player is his ability to play beyond his size. At barely 5’8, Modric is not afraid to tangle with the burliest of EPL midfield grunts and his tackling ability is surprisingly sufficient. Tactically, Redknapp’s formation philosophy has more or less mirrored United’s since Modric’s arrival. Sometimes being wastefully deployed on the left, the majority of the time pulling strings from the center, Modric would be able to slide into United’s squad effortlessly. He has made his intentions clear thus far that he wants to leave Tottenham for greener pastures, and that his preference is to remain in London. With those facts in mind it seems all but a matter of time before the rubles of West London prize Modric from Tottenham. If United were able to bring him on board they would secure themselves one of the best midfielders in the world and the ideal replacement for Paul Scholes, but at this moment that appears a longshot.

Estimated Cost: £30-35m
Transfer Fit to United: A+
Transfer Likelihood: B-

Joao Moutinho

Compared to Deco when first bursting onto the scene in 2006/2007, this appraisal is not far off by any measure. Moutinho is a compact zealous midfielder with a keenness to find the ball at every possible chance. Now at 23 it would seem that he is somewhat of a forgotten player. While Hulk and Falcao have stolen the headlines in Porto’s season of triumphs, Moutinho has flown under the radar undeservedly so. One can’t help but compare him to Scholes when witnessing his vision, anticipation, and the weight of the balls he plays.  Moutinho is a rare midfielder who can play in several midfield positions in various formations. He can play at the top of a midfield diamond, the bottom of a diamond, a defensive distributing role in a 4-2-3-1, and a more balanced role in a 4-4-2 (if needed). At 20 he became the youngest captain in Sporting history. This player is begging for a top European team to sign him. With Boas moving onto Chelsea a move to West London may be in the cards, but with all potential suitors absorbed by Sneijder, Modric, and Pastore , this may allow United to snap up one of the value buys of the season.

Estimated Cost: £15-17m
Transfer Fit to United: A
Transfer Likelihood: B

Youth- Tom Cleverly & Ryan Tunicliffe

For the past couple of years there has been quite a murmur coming from United fans in regard to their new generation of youth players coming through. Some have been bold enough to describe this generation as the next coming of Fergie’s Fledglings, and that assertion may not be too far off.  A team studded with potential first team starters in every part of the field, however, it is in midfield where they are most spoiled.

Tom Cleverly is perhaps the most enigmatic of all of United’s midfield prospects. Determining where Cleverley is best suited to play is somewhat of a conundrum at this point. In this past season Cleverley excelled while playing on the outside midfield for Wigan and has put in performances for England at the U-21 level in the central midfield that has earned him rave reviews from coaches and pundits alike. Many have claimed that the precocious young midfielder has a bright future ahead of him at United, but with the signing of Ashley Young and the talks of adding additional midfield strength he may find his chances limited.

Ryan Tunicliffe earned himself a highlight this spring in part of Sky Sports’ Scouting Report series, and deservedly so. United has a strong history of robust central midfielders and many believe that he will have his place amongst the Robson’s, Ince’s, and Keane’s. A starlet for the youth and reserves over the past season, Tunicliffe received a first team call up from the manager. Earmarked by Fergie as “one of the one’s for the future”, Tunicliffe’s passing is accurate, he is robust in the challenge, and has quite a bit of versatility. Many are urging Sir Alex to take a gamble like Wenger did with Wilshere, but it would be more beneficial for the youngster to receive 20+ starts to a newly promoted EPL team.

Estimated Cost: £0
Transfer Fit to United: B+
Transfer Likelihood: C