Paul Parker identifies ‘Premier League-winning’ midfield duo who Manchester United should sign

Manchester United are screaming out for a midfield pairing who can support their defence, make and score goals and bring Premier League glory back to Old Trafford in the future.

Former Red Devils defender Paul Parker believes he knows exactly which duo will do just that.

Speaking to KelBet, the 57-year-old thinks West Ham United’s Declan Rice and Borussia Dortmund’s Jude Bellingham will be a ‘Premier League winning’ midfielder for United.

“If you bring in Declan Rice, within 12 months, he’s your captain, without a shadow of a doubt,” Parker said.

"If you bring in those two [Rice and Jude Bellingham] together, then you have a midfield of Premier League winning types.”

The ex-England international specifically mentioned how, when watching Bellingham, he thinks the 18-year-old isn’t limited to one role at Dortmund.

“When I watch him [Jude Bellingham] play, I really like that he doesn’t want to be type-casted to one position. He doesn’t want to be what all the young supporters call a ‘CDM’ as such.

“He wants to be called a midfield player, which I love. Because when you are a midfield player, that means you want to be all over the park. You are even happy to go into your own box, and more importantly get near the opponents box and try to make and score goals. That’s what he can do. [He] Doesn’t want his game limited."

"When you watch him play for Dortmund, his game is not limited.”

However, Parker is under no illusions that both Rice and Bellingham would cost his former club significant money, with the latter wanting to first speak to Red Devils’ summer signing Jadon Sancho before deciding to leave Dortmund.

“He [Jude Bellingham] would do the most obvious thing, he would speak to his ex-teammate [Jadon Sancho] at Manchester United. And I don’t think his ex-teammate will be giving him words of encouragement. Not unless he’s lonely and he wants his own sparring partner around him.

“But again with Jude Bellingham: ‘Who are you signing, if you sign me?’ Jude Bellingham is going to cost you another £70 million. If you are getting him, are you going to get [John] McGinn? It’s so difficult. Bellingham is going to cost you that. Very similar to Declan Rice.”

Parker also mentioned how he doubts United will be able to sign any of these targets before the January deadline next week, as a result, the club’s supporters will be ‘worried’ that interim manager Ralf Rangnick won’t be able to deliver a top four finish this season.

“I’m just waiting to see action really. You just wonder if it is viable for Manchester United to do anything before the 31st."

"I know the Manchester United supporters will be worried about no Champions League, if the club doesn’t do anything. The new coach might be able to pull something off and get them playing, maybe not in an enjoyable way, but one that just might guarantee Champions League, because I think there is only one spot available, to be perfectly honest.”

The 57-year-old believes that Aston Villa will not want to sell John McGinn to the Red Devils due to their boss Steven Gerrard’s rivalry with the club.

"With McGinn, how much are Villa going to want to sell him to Manchester United? Steven Gerrard hasn’t come to Villa to sell players to Manchester United.

"If you’ve been to Liverpool, played for Liverpool, born in Liverpool, you don’t want to give anything to Manchester United.”