"Talking s**t" – Paul Scholes blasts ex-Manchester United teammate for asking Kobbie Mainoo to emulate Declan Rice instead of him

Paul Scholes has slammed his former teammate Tim Howard for asserting Kobbie Mainoo should emulate Arsenal star Declan Rice instead of the legendary Manchester United midfielder.

Earlier last Saturday (May 25), Mainoo scored a goal to help his boyhood club win the 2023-24 FA Cup final 2-1 against Manchester City. Scholes took to Instagram afterwards and showered special praise on the 19-year-old, writing in a story (h/t SPORTbible):

"Read a few comparisons between me and this kid last week. Don't waste your time, he is 10 times the player I was at 19. Just love the way he receives the ball, the calmness, the awareness of what's around him and, of course, the big goals in big games."

In his column for Daily Mail, Howard shared his thoughts on the recent comparisons between Mainoo and Scholes. He wrote (h/t SPORTbible):

"Mainoo is a product of the United academy too. He has a similar stature. So, it is an interesting comparison. But, I don't necessarily see it. For me, there is another midfielder who Kobbie should look to for a blueprint on how to develop his game: Declan Rice. He's had a breakout season at Arsenal because he's now been freed up to explore what it's like in the other penalty area."

Opining on Mainoo, the ex-Manchester United goalkeeper continued:

"Kobbie has the ability to do that too. Now, it is up to his managers: can they allow him to do what he's great at – breaking things up, using his energy – but then also encourage him to get further forward."

But, Scholes is far from impressed with Howard's recent claims. He shared his two cents on the American's column on Instagram:

"Talking [s**t] Timothy... night!"

Mainoo, 19, has arguably proven to be Manchester United's best central midfielder this season. He scored five goals, one against Liverpool and one against City, and laid out an assist in 32 games for his club.

Club keen to sell Manchester United target

According to Fichajes.net, Valencia have identified four first-team stars as potential sales as they hope to earn enough to balance their books. They will listen to offers for Giorgi Mamardashvili, Pepelu, Cristhian Mosquera, and Manchester United target Javi Guerra.

Guerra, who has also been linked with Arsenal of late, relished a breakout season at Valencia this season. The 21-year-old registered four goals and one assist in 40 matches across all competitions for his club.

Should the £17 million-rated star join Manchester United, he could prove to be a shrewd signing. He would likely fill the void left by Christian Eriksen's potential departure and offer competition to Kobbie Mainoo.