Manchester United are never going to win the Premier League until they change their centre-back pairing of Harry Maguire and Lisandro Martinez.

That’s according to Red Devils legend Paul Scholes, who has slammed the club’s poor recruitment in recent times, with Maguire and Martinez still trusted as the first choice central defensive pairing for this season.

It’s surely been clear for some time now that Man Utd should make changes in that department, but new signings like Matthijs de Ligt and Leny Yoro haven’t lived up to expectations either.

This means United are still relying on Maguire and Martinez, and Scholes thinks that’s a major issue after the team’s poor start to the season.

Paul Scholes on Manchester United’s defence

“We talk a lot about recruitment, don’t we? The idea is to make your team better and someone like Elliot Anderson would make them better, but I’m not sure the players they brought in make them better,” Scholes said on The Good, The Bad, & The Football podcast.

“I actually think they’re alright in the forward areas but look at the centre-halves, that’s an area of the pitch that hasn’t been addressed for a number of years.

“We’ve had the same centre-halves now for two or three years and we know you’re not going to be successful with them. You’re never, ever going to win the Premier League with them.

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“The goal on Saturday was a prime example – we know Lisandro Martinez is a good footballer but for your centre-half to be bullied like that… you cannot let that happen, it’s criminal.

“Manchester United need a new back-four, they need a new back-four.”

Can Manchester United turn it around?

United urgently need to show some serious improvement soon or there is surely going to be huge pressure on manager Michael Carrick.

The performance against Spurs was really poor, and they immediately face a challenging fixture in the Champions League as they take on Atletico Madrid.

After that, it’s another tricky game as United travel to take on Leeds United at Elland Road on Sunday afternoon.

The way they’re playing right now, it’s hard to see where the next good result is coming from for MUFC – can you see Carrick lasting much longer? Let us know in the comments!