Manchester United legend Paul Scholes has delivered a scathing assessment of £57 million defender Lisandro Martínez, insisting the Argentine center-back will "never be successful" at Old Trafford and urging the club's leadership to immediately replace him.

The former midfielder's brutal critique comes as United continue to navigate a turbulent domestic campaign marked by defensive instability and poor form.

Speaking on The Good, The Bad and The Football podcast, Scholes questioned Martínez's capability to anchor a top-tier backline, echoing concerns originally raised when former manager Erik ten Hag recruited the defender from Ajax.

Scholes asserted that despite moments of solid individual play, Martínez lacks the foundational profile required to command a title-winning defense for Manchester United in the Premier League.

The legendary midfielder went on to criticize the structural setup of United's modern backline, claiming that reliance on established figures has severely limited the team's upward trajectory.

Scholes stressed that as long as the executive hierarchy relies on players who fail to dominate physical aerial duels and maintain consistency, the club will remain trapped far outside the Premier League's elite hierarchy.

Scholes’ comments add immense pressure on technical director Jason Wilcox and the INEOS leadership team as they evaluate squad depth ahead of upcoming transfer windows.

With defensive lapses contributing to costly dropped points throughout the season, former club stalwarts are becoming increasingly vocal about the need for a total overhaul of the central defensive pairing.

As United struggle to climb out of the bottom half of the table, the vocal criticism from club icons underscores the growing frustration surrounding player recruitment and recruitment returns.

Whether the Old Trafford hierarchy heeds Scholes’ stark warning and prioritizes a new marquee center-back remains one of the defining narratives surrounding Carrington.

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