A member of the Class of 92' Paul Scholes is certainly regarded as a living legend by all football fanatics. Trust me; Roy Keane is definitely a better tackler but take nothing away from Scholes' passing attributes- which has often propelled him to the highest level of football with his one and only club, Manchester United.
Frankly speaking, Scholes has been one of the most underrated players in the history of football. But the aspect of him that makes him special is his attitude. While players of the current generation tend to get swayed aside by fame and attention, Scholesy has been true testament to how a footballer should lead his life. After all, he came up with a very meaningful statement once: "I don't like compliments, I'd rather people have a go at me so I can prove them wrong."
Try asking any United fan how important Scholes is to the team? Absolutely undeniable. The fact that Sir Bobby Charlton labeled him as 'the embodiment of all that is best about football' and Italy's World Cup winning coach Marcello Lippi hailed Scholes as one of the best ever midfielders he has seen literally explains all the fundamental perspective of the celebrated midfielder.
But how do they replace Scholes after all he has achieved with the Red Devils so far? David Gill has hinted that this season could be the last one in Scholes' Man United career. How do they find someone that can dictate the midfield as much as he does for them? The task might seem an impossible one but we at Live Soccer TV reckon that there are a few targets that might be on United's radar ahead of this summer.
Wesley Sneijder: A Master Class Of His Own
The so called 'Sir Alex Eye' has been on Wesley Sneijder ever since his impressive displays for Inter Milan in their treble winning season last year. Much vaunted for his exceptional passing diversity and creative sparks, Sneijder is probably the only player capable of replacing all those exquisite passes that Old Trafford has been accustomed to seeing.
Most importantly, Sneijder has the ability to fulfil the playmaker role which Wayne Rooney is so often forced to do nowadays. Frankly speaking, Sir Alex does not have a genuine box-to-box midfielder and Sneijder's abundance of trickery and his constant roaming in the midfield could be the perfect addition to Sir Alex Ferguson's squad.
Per contra, wages might be the stumbling block and nobody will even be surprised if the negotiated price turns out to be massive one, considering that the Dutch midfielder only recently signed a long-term contract with Inter MIilan.
However, United have constantly insisted that they do have significant amount of funds provided to Sir Alex in case he wants to add more quality into his team. Therefore, if rumors are true, we could very well see the deadly combination between Sneijder, Rooney and Hernandez next season.
Danielle De Rossi: A Gem of His Kind
What makes Danielle De Rossi so special? Remember the 7-1 thrashing of Roma at Old Trafford? While the whole squad of Luciano Spaletti on that day was rather pathetic, De Rossi was probably the only one who shone like a diamond for the Roman side. Fair enough, the level of creativity in his and Roma's only goal that night outshone the seven wonders of the world from United.
The aspect that makes De Rossi an appealing one is his tactical awareness on the field. United do have midfielders in the form on Darren Fletcher, Michael Carrick and Anderson. But while they are all effective players to be placed in the middle, none of them have proved their offensive capabilities so far and if there is one person to replace the Paul Scholes we knew during the early 2000s, De Rossi will certainly be the man.
His ability to break up play as well as drive counter attacks has been Roma and Italy's key of unlocking defences on numerous occasions. De Rossi is certainly a gem of his kind. Rumors have reported that he is currently unhappy with his situation at the Stadio Olimpico and a tempting offer could prompt Premier League football for the Italian midfielder.
Douglas Costa: The New Ronaldinho?
The tale goes that Ronaldinho was very close to signing for Manchester United before changing his mind at the last hour and chose FC Barcelona instead. Probably the best solution to replacing Scholes would be to add in some Brazilian Samba magic and Douglas Costa certainly has the attributes to be the perfect midfielder for United.
United's interest in the player dates back to when he was even 16 years old due to their extensive scouting network in Brazil. Costa shone for Gremio at that time and watching him play certainly revoked vivid images of Ronaldinho's grandiloquent brand of football. Costa has obvious similarities in terms of his ability to run with the ball and beat opponents. But the best part is that he is capable operating on either flank or in an advanced midfield position.
It appears that Costa was even recently present at Old Trafford during Manchester United's 1-0 victory over Bolton two months ago, as he was seated in the director's box as a guest alongside several of his representatives. Costa has now developed himself as an important member in the Shakhtar Donetsk dressing room and who knows? Manchester United might have that added piece of 'samba' into their game next season.
