Paul Scholes urges Man United to hijack Atletico Madrid’s £34m move for ‘nutcase’ Cristian Romero – despite calling him ‘an absolute clown’ who ‘does stupid things’

Manchester United legend Paul Scholes has urged his former club to gazump Atletico Madrid’s £34million move for Cristian Romero, despite branding the Tottenham captain a ‘nutcase’ and ‘absolute clown’ in his sales pitch.

The Argentina defender, 28, is expected to leave Spurs this summer after being given the green light to join LaLiga heavyweights Atletico Madrid, who are deep in talks with the north London outfit and only a few million apart in negotiations.

Meanwhile, the Red Devils are eagerly exploring options to bolster Michael Carrick’s squad ahead of the new campaign, which will see United compete in the Champions League after finishing third in the Premier League last season.

Scholes, who has previously criticised Romero’s rash and ill-disciplined approach to defending at Spurs, has surprisingly called for United to hijack Atletico’s pursuit.

‘This is one you might laugh at. Cristian Romero from Tottenham,’ he said on The Good, The Bad and The Football podcast while discussing potential transfer targets for United. 

‘I know it might sound stupid, but I just think… I like him. I think he’s a nutcase. He’s a very good defender that does some stupid things. He is an absolute clown. 

‘But I think if someone could get hold of him, like Michael Carrick, who is very calm and relaxed, he might be able to [help him]. 

‘He seems like a bit of a cult hero defender, really. I know it might sound strange, but I think the fans at Old Trafford would like him.

‘There’s a bit of something about him. He’s won the Europa League with Spurs, he’s won a World Cup, two Copa Americas. There’s definitely something about him and he’s cheap, £30-40million.’

Carrick has a string of defensive options at centre-half heading into the season, with Harry Maguire, Leny Yoro, Matthijs de Ligt, Ayden Heaven and Romero’s international team-mate Lisandro Martinez among those who operate at the heart of defence.

Scholes believes, despite the options available, that United need to bolster that department in particular if they plan to kick on in the future.

‘I think centre-half is probably the biggest [area that needs addressing],’ he added. ‘You need to have centre-halves that are reliable for the Premier League. You’d like to have them [fit enough to play] in most games.

‘Harry Maguire not so much, but Martinez picks up a lot of injuries. They’ve got the young lad Ayden Heaven, who I think is a really bright prospect, but he’s still going to make mistakes. He’s young. 

‘Centre-half is a position they need to address if they are going to be challenging towards the top end [of the league].’

Manchester United’s first test in the Premier League is a trip to newly-promoted Hull City on Saturday, August 22.