Paul Scholes suggests Ruud van Nistelrooy did not back Man Utd’s big summer signing

Paul Scholes believes Ruud van Nistelrooy should have been given more say in Manchester United’s transfer business up front – suggesting the Dutchman may not have chosen Joshua Zirkzee last summer.

United have been desperately short of goals this season with only Southampton and Crystal Palace scoring less than them after nine games.

That miserable start to the campaign saw Erik ten Hag relieved of his duties on Monday with van Nistelrooy taking interim charge.

That spell in the dugout could be a short one with United moving quickly to appoint Ruben Amorim their new permanent boss but their former striker will be in the dugout to lead the side in tonight’s Carabao Cup clash against Leicester City.

Ten Hag’s early season plans were hampered when Rasmus Hojlund suffered a hamstring injury during pre-season, missing the opening five games of the campaign.

Zirkzee arrived at Old Trafford from Bologna in a deal worth £36.5m, scoring on his league debut against Fulham on the opening day of the season. He has made a further 12 appearances, six of those starts, but has failed to add to that tally since.

Van Nistelrooy, who scored 150 goals in 219 appearances for United, returned to the club last summer, joining Ten Hag’s staff as assistant manager.

With United so toothless in the attacking third, Scholes recently insisted his former teammate should have been consulted throughout the process of bringing in another striker.

And in assessing United’s current options up top, the former midfielder was not convinced van Nistelrooy would have backed moves for Zirkzee or Hojlund.

Speaking after United’s dismal 3-0 defeat to Tottenham in late September, Scholes said: ‘Coaches are control freaks, they want to do everything. If you were Ruud watching that, he is maybe thinking, “I will take a back seat, I don’t want to get involved in that”.’ he said.

‘He also has to be involved in the recruitment side of it, signing a centre forward. Or two centre forwards. “Ruud, who do you think?” I am not sure he would have picked Zirkzee. I am not sure he would have picked Hojlund.

‘Look, there is probably not a plethora of centre forwards out there. But you go consult him, wouldn’t’ you?’

Van Nistelrooy’s future beyond Wednesday night is uncertain. Sporting Lisbon confirmed on Tuesday United have approached them to pay the manager’s £8.3million release clause but speaking later that evening, Amorim insisted his future has still not been decided.