Paul Scholes makes harsh Leny Yoro claim as he rips into Man United defenders | OneFootball

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Manchester United legend Paul Scholes has brutally slammed the club’s defensive players, while also making a harsh claim about Leny Yoro.

Old Trafford has seen little activity in recent weeks following the signings of Andrey Santos, Youri Tielemans and Karl Darlow from Chelsea, Aston Villa and as a free agent respectively.

This summer was tipped to be an extremely busy one for United but the opposite has largely been true. As the 2026/27 Premier League campaign draws ever closer, concern is mounting that United may be insufficiently equipped to take advantage of their rivals’ transitional state and compete for the title.

Michael Carrick recently stressed that he and his coaching staff need more recruits. Reports continue to suggest that United are scouting the market for opportunities.

Last weekend, United suffered a sobering defeat to Ruben Amorim’s AC Milan, further fuelling calls for Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS to act in the market.

While most of the talk has centred around midfield reinforcements, Scholes believes that it’s equally important for United to address their shortcomings in defence.

Scholes was particularly critical of Yoro, claiming that the Premier League may be a step too high for the Frenchman.

Scholes’ verdict

The former midfielder said on The Overlap Fan Debate, “Centre-halves are still a problem; Manchester United still need better centre-halves.”

“The current players don’t have the quality, where I am judging Manchester United, to go on and win the Premier League.”

He continued, “You need centre-backs who are reliable every single week. We’ve got [Harry] Maguire, who has started to pick up some [injury] niggles, Lisandro Martinez – the lad just can’t stay fit now. When he’s fit, he is a good player, don’t get me wrong.”

“They’ve got Leny Yoro, who has struggled over the last two years – it looks like the [Premier League] level is above him and [hopefully] he might come on [a bit this season].”

“If de Ligt is fit and playing every week, he’s possibly Manchester United’s best centre-half.”

“But again, that’s a question mark against centre-halves. You can’t have those question marks.”

United face newly-promoted Hull City on Saturday.