“Erik ten Hag loves having problems with players he don’t like. He is already doing to him what he did to Sancho and Ronaldo. He might leave the club very soon. Paul Scholes reveals the theory behind Erik ten Hag’s drastic relationship with one Man Utd key player who is not happy at the club.

Paul Scholes has offered his opinion on the relationship between Erik ten Hag and a specific Manchester United player.

United’s underwhelming start to the Premier League season continued as they settled for a 0-0 draw with Crystal Palace last Saturday. After the game, club legend Scholes hinted that Ten Hag had long been eager to replace Harry Maguire with Matthijs de Ligt.

Maguire’s future at Manchester United has been uncertain for the past couple of years, with the England international often facing heavy criticism from fans and experts. These struggles led Ten Hag to bring in De Ligt for a reported £43 million this summer, and Scholes feels that De Ligt’s immediate inclusion in the squad suggests Ten Hag had always intended to sideline Maguire.

During the Overlap Fan Debate, Scholes remarked, “He couldn’t wait to put De Ligt in ahead of Maguire; he was just biding his time for the opportunity.”

However, Scholes expressed doubts about whether De Ligt is a major improvement over Maguire. “To be honest, I’m not convinced it’s a massive upgrade,” Scholes continued. “Maybe he’s slightly better, but not enough to say, ‘Wow, what a difference.’”

Scholes further observed that Ten Hag generally exercises caution when integrating new signings into the team. “Look at Manuel Ugarte—he was introduced during the Liverpool game but then left for international duty with Uruguay. These South American players often return on a Friday and are expected to play the next day.”

He added, “Ten Hag seems to take his time with new players, as we saw with De Ligt sitting on Bayern’s bench behind Eric Dier. So, what’s the deal now? Are rotations off the table?”

Following Scholes’ comments, a fan humorously responded, “Scholes was a brilliant player, but you just know he’d be a terrible manager.”