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.
