Manchester United great Paul Scholes has called on the club to make a late move for Newcastle United star Lewis Hall before the transfer window closes. The former midfielder feels defensive reinforcements are vital after seeing Luke Shaw go through a difficult outing in the Red Devils’ recent win.

Scholes points to defensive frailty

The Manchester United legend has urged his former side to revive their interest in Newcastle United defender Hall after Shaw’s tough beginning to the new season. In spite of a high-scoring 5-2 win over Ipswich Town at Old Trafford, Scholes made it clear he has serious worries about the defensive balance of Michael Carrick’s team.

Speaking on The Good, The Bad & The Football podcast, Scholes gave a frank verdict on United’s display and their need for fresh additions. “I think United would have taken going 1-0 down, the way they played in the first half. It could have been two or three,” Scholes said.

He added: “What we saw yesterday, I think that sums what you’re going to get from United. They could have been two or three down but also, you look at the second half, and they were devastating.”

The cost of a late move

Although Hall has been on the recruitment team’s radar at Old Trafford for a long time, Newcastle have stayed firm over the 21-year-old. The Magpies view him as one of their “untouchables”, but reports indicate they could reconsider if a huge financial offer arrives. According to recent updates, Newcastle may be prepared to ‘consider’ a late deal for Hall if they receive a bid of more than £75m.

Scholes feels Shaw’s difficult time against Ipswich winger Abdul Fatawu should be the trigger for Carrick to push for more signings. “100 per cent. That will have been going on for months, you’re not just talking the last couple of days,” Scholes said when asked whether reinforcements were required. “Do you know one thing that might help Michael? Shaw getting done yesterday [against Ipswich] like he did. So he might go, ‘Look, we need him’, and you think Hall might be the most doable who is out there and available.”

Ferdinand backs Shaw amid exit talk

While Scholes is advocating an immediate replacement, Rio Ferdinand has adopted a more measured stance. The former defender accepted that Shaw had a “below-par” match against Ipswich but maintained that the 31-year-old has still been one of United’s most dependable performers over the past year.

Ferdinand explained his view on his YouTube channel: “In a couple of my WhatsApp chats, some United fans were saying, ‘Shaw, get rid!’… Shaw, over the last year, has been one of our most consistent performers and you’re sitting there saying, ‘He should be there’, or, ‘He should be somewhere else’... no! Go and get a left-back that we want to actually bed in over time to be a replacement for someone like Shaw. You think you’re going to go in the market and find someone?”

United looking at other options

With the deadline nearing, United are also said to have examined a range of possible solutions to their left-back problem. If a move for Hall continues to be too expensive, the club has monitored several other candidates across Europe.

Reports claim United have evaluated three targets for the role, including Brighton’s Ferdi Kadioglu, Aston Villa’s Ian Maatsen, and Racing Santander’s Jorge Salinas. A loan move could be the most realistic outcome because of the heavy spending already made in midfield earlier this summer.