Jose Mourinho claims Manchester United are struggling to compete in the transfer market (Picture: Getty)

Paul Scholes has hit out at Jose Mourinho’s ‘strange’ comments over Manchester United’s lack of spending power.

Mourinho has overseen a £300million rebuild of United’s squad since his appointment in the summer of 2016 but claims he requires further funds if he is to compete with Manchester City and Liverpool, who made Virgil van Dijk the most expensive defender in world football when they completed his signing earlier this week.

Scholes, however, believes the biggest reason his old side trail Pep Guardiola’s Premier League pacesetters by 15 points owes more to how Mourinho has spent his money, than how much he has been given to invest in new players.

Jose Mourinho instructs Lukaku
Jose Mourinho spent £75million on Romelu Luakku last summer and another £70m combined on Victor Lindelof and Nemanja Matic.

‘I think the comments are strange,’ Scholes told BT Sport. ‘I think whatever money he wants is available, the problem he’s had is spending it wisely.

‘They’re 15 points behind City and he’s complaining about them but that’s the last thing you do as a manager. What City have done they’ve done very well.

‘The performances of Sterling and Sane have been fantastic and they’ve shown great improvement.

‘He keeps Aguero happy when he’s not playing every week and he’s one of the best strikers in the world. On the coaching side as well as the spending Guardiola’s improved City.’