Proof – Shinji Kagawa can replace Paul Scholes

There are some very simple stats from the season just gone, which prove Shinji Kagawa can step up and replace Paul Scholes.

Scholes has been one of the most effective players in terms of creativity and general midfield play at Old Trafford throughout his career.

His retirement creates huge anxiety at Manchester United over how David Moyes is going to go about trying to replace him, with several talented names mentioned ahead of possible transfers to the club.

owever, the club already own a player in Shinji Kagawa who is good enough to replace Scholes and he proved he can, outdoing Scholes in many key areas over the course of last season.

That was a title winning season where Kagawa was played out of position the majority of the time, which makes his limited impact all the more remarkable.

Of course Kagawa is never going to replace the physical element which Scholes have the United midfield but that is something Moyes can compensate for.

He can bring in an enforcer with the sole intention of protecting the back four and allowing Kagawa to settle into his natural and creative central role, a role that his former boss Jurgen Klopp suggested he was the best in the world at.