Manchester United legend Paul Scholes has insisted that Crystal Palace star Adam Wharton would be a better signing than Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder Carlos Baleba.
The Red Devils were beaten 1-0 by Everton at Old Trafford last weekend, losing despite the Toffees losing Idrissa Gana Gueye to a 13th-minute red card.
United find themselves 10th in the table with 18 points ahead of their clash against Crystal Palace on Sunday, and there are fears that the team will find it difficult to push up the table without January additions.
Midfielder Baleba has been consistently linked to Ruben Amorim's side, but former Red Devils star Scholes would rather see Palace's Adam Wharton arrive at Old Trafford, while he also praised Nottingham Forest star Elliot Anderson.
Scholes said on his podcast The Good the Bad and The Football *: "*I'd probably say I'd go Wharton. I still don't think they're any of the Manchester United style midfield players, they're more the style of football these days.
"I just think Wharton's got a little bit more quality. That's tough saying that. I think he's got more quality than Baleba.
"Baleba's got more legs, so that evens itself out a little bit. It's close between Elliot Anderson and Wharton. I'd just pick Wharton."
Baleba has struggled this season for Brighton, and there has been speculation that his form could be because a move to United failed to materialise in the summer.
Elliot Anderson, Adam Wharton or Carlos Baleba?
One of the reasons Amorim's team have struggled this campaign at times has been that his midfield have found it difficult to cover ground, with Bruno Fernandes and Casemiro experiencing difficulties during counter-attacks.
The duo are also not specialists during buildup, but that is an area that both Wharton and Anderson excel in.
It should by noted that Crystal Palace star is not particularly athletic, whereas Anderson and Baleba are both able to cover ground at pace.
Baleba and Wharton are both just 21, while Anderson is 23, and perhaps signing two of the three midfielders over the next two transfer windows would push United closer to the likes of Arsenal and Manchester City.
Should Ruben Amorim start Kobbie Mainoo?
The Red Devils will no doubt find it hard to sign any of the previously mentioned midfielders in January given they are likely to cost in the region of £100m each, which means Amorim may have to find internal solutions until the summer.
Youngster Kobbie Mainoo has been routinely overlooked in favour of Casemiro and Fernandes, and many supporters have questioned the decision to exclude him.
The 20-year-old started the final of Euro 2024 for England but is yet to start for United this term in the league, playing just 177 minutes of top-flight football.
Considering Amorim's side have failed to win seven of their 12 Premier League games this season, the decision to not trial Mainoo considering the team have struggled has been odd.