Man Utd legend Paul Scholes reveals who is his 'new favourite footballer'

Manchester United legend Paul Scholes has described Barcelona’s Pedri as his “new favourite footballer” after the Spaniard’s assured display in Barça’s 2-1 Champions League victory at Newcastle.

The comment comes as many Reds look at the current situation at Old Trafford and the problems in the team especially in midfield.

Pedri’s performance at St James’ Park was everything Scholes once embodied: control, calmness, tempo, and intelligence in possession.

Under pressure, the 22-year-old dictated play, linking defense and attack, and ensuring Barcelona didn’t lose their shape in a hostile environment.

For Scholes, a player who built his reputation on dictating matches from midfield, Pedri represents a continuation of that ideal — a midfielder who doesn’t just run hard, but thinks faster than the opposition.

His Instagram post, calling Pedri his “new favourite footballer,” felt as much like admiration as it did a subtle critique of what’s missing at Old Trafford.

United’s struggles under Rúben Amorim have been stark. The club sits adrift of the Premier League’s top sides, and much of the criticism has focused on their lack of a true controlling midfielder.

Despite spending heavily in recent years, the team lacks a player capable of managing games with the calm authority Pedri shows weekly for Barcelona.

Casemiro has shown flashes of leadership but is aging and often exposed. Mason Mount and Bruno Fernandes bring energy and creativity, but neither offers the metronomic control needed to dominate possession.

Kobbie Mainoo is promising, but still raw. In truth, United haven’t had a true midfield orchestrator since Scholes retired.

Barcelona, for all their financial turmoil, continue to produce or recruit players who fit their footballing DNA. Pedri isn’t just a talent; he is the type of player United have been searching for unsuccessfully for over a decade.

Where Barça build midfields around vision and intelligence, United’s recruitment has leaned toward power and individual flair — often at the expense of balance.

For United supporters, Scholes’s praise of Pedri hits a nerve. It is a reminder that their club once prided itself on midfield control and intelligence, and that they’ve drifted far from that standard.

Pedri is exactly the kind of midfielder Scholes would have loved to play alongside — and precisely the type United so desperately lack today.