Kobbie Mainoo has named perfect midfield partner - but Man United must ignore him and Sir Jim Ratcliffe

"Hmmm, I'd say Scholes, although there might not be a lot of defending happening between the two of us," said Kobbie Mainoo when asked to name his perfect midfield partner.

Mainoo was given a choice between Manchester United players from the past and present and picked Scholes for his 'passing, movement, intelligence and the way he could finish'.

The 18-year-old is an articulate young man and smiled when suggesting that, although he'd love to play with Scholes, the pairing would probably be too attack-minded.

Sources close to Mainoo have likened him to a student of the game and he understands the midfield would be left compromised with two No.8s playing together, especially when considering that Bruno Fernandes would be ahead of them in his attacking midfield position.

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A midfield of Scholes, Mainoo and Fernandes would be perfect in a FIFA video game, but it wouldn't work in reality because that trio would leave the backline exposed. Fernandes plays in an advanced position, Scholes had an eye for goal and Mainoo's future lies in the No.8 role due to the quality he can provide in attacking scenarios.

Mainoo was far from prolific in the academy - his goals were often scrappy - but he's got the skillset to score frequently and he's already notched a few for the first team.

His goals against Newport County in the FA Cup and Wolves in the Premier League were brilliant, but his strike in the 2-2 draw with Liverpool was a moment of class.

Not only that, Mainoo's ability to unlock defences with pinpoint accuracy is a huge asset and asking him to play deep would be wasting and