Paul Scholes believes Edinson Cavani could prove the perfect mentor for Erling Haaland if he joins Manchester United.
MEN Sport understands that the 20-year-old striker is the club's first-choice replacement for Romelu Lukaku, with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and John Murtough agreeing on the Borussia Dortmund striker as the club's long-term number nine.
Cavani is out of contract at the end of the season after signing a one-year deal in October, which can only be extended if both parties agree. The 34-year-old's father has claimed the Uruguayan intends to leave in the summer.
Whilst clubs across Europe fight for Haaland's signature, Scholes believes that Haaland could be the perfect mentor for the striker, who remains only 20 despite his meteoric rise to stardom.
“If United sign Haaland, which is a bit fantasy, we know that, then I think Cavani would be an ideal teacher for him," he told BT Sport.
"I can see very similar traits in those two. Haaland is still a very young player, so I can see where that could come into it, where he could learn from an experienced striker like Cavani.”
Scholes also insisted that United need to sign an out-and-out number nine this season.
The former midfielder admitted he doesn't see Mason Greenwood developing into that player, likening him to Kylian Mbappe, who operates best coming from wide areas.
“I think the player determines where the manager plays you. At the minute, he’s playing on that right-hand side because that’s the best place for him," he said.
"I just don’t see him as a centre-forward yet. You look at Haaland, you look at Cavani, you look at Harry Kane - is he like them? I don’t see him anything like them. Possibly a little bit like Mbappe - which is high praise because I think he’s the best player in the world at the minute.
"I see him in wide areas being his best position, I don’t see him as a great link-up man. I don’t really see him making clever runs in behind centre-halves or getting tap-ins, I don’t see him scoring headers. I see him in the wide right area, he’s the best option for it. He’s devastating when he faces a player up on the right-hand side.”
