Manchester United cannot play Radamel Falcao, Wayne Rooney and Robin van Persie in the same team, says Paul Scholes

• Paul Scholes can't see how Manchester United can play Robin van Persie, Wayne Rooney and Radamel Falcao together
• Louis van Gaal has been given a squad capable of finishing in the top four
• United have also signed Luke Shaw, Ander Herrera, Marco Rojo, Angel di Maria and Daley Blind
• Scholes warns that Danny Welbeck will not score 20 goals a season for Arsenal following his £16m transfer
• Sir Alex Ferguson expressed amazement at club's £153m spending spree

By Richard Arrowsmith for MailOnline

Published: 06:00 EST, 5 September 2014 | Updated: 09:30 EST, 5 September 2014

Manchester United legend Paul Scholes cannot see how Louis van Gaal will be able to play Wayne Rooney, Robin van Persie and Radamel Falcao in the same team.

Scholes believes that Falcao, who signed a late loan deal from Monaco on deadline day, is an exceptional player but insists his former club will only be able to field two of their big-name strikers.

Writing in his column for the Independent, Scholes said: 'When I watched Falcao play for Porto, Atletico Madrid and Monaco I saw a striker with excellent movement and a goalscoring record that is simply out of this world.

VIDEO Scroll down for Wayne Rooney: Falcao is sign of intent from United 

Where will he fit? Radamel Falcao poses with Ryan Giggs after signing a deadline day loan deal

Who will miss out? Paul Scholes doesn't believe Louis van Gaal can field all three of his star strikers

'Falcao creates competition in United's forward line. There is no way that Van Gaal can play Rooney, Van Persie and Falcao together. It will have to be two from three and which two it is hard to say as yet.'

Scholes believes the club's astonishing summer spending spree, which has seen Luke Shaw, Ander Herrera, Marco Rojo, Angel di Maria and Daley Blind arrive at Old Trafford for a combined fee of around £150 million, has given Van Gaal a squad capable of finishing in the top four.

'Credit has to go to [executive vice-chairman] Ed Woodward, who has left Van Gaal a squad that should be capable of finishing in the top four," he said. 

'I don't think the league title is realistic but Champions League football is the aim. Now it is over to Van Gaal to shape the team.

Despite being excited by the new arrivals, Scholes admits he was disappointed to see academy graduate Danny Welbeck leave in a £16m move to Arsenal - even if he is unlikely to score 20 goals in a season.

'It shows how highly regarded Danny is that a club as big as Arsenal signed him. He will be a good signing for Arsene Wenger,' he said. 

'Danny will never be a 20-25 goals-a-season man but he could get Arsenal 10 to 15.' 

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Wayne Rooney: Falcao is sign of intent from United

Great expectations: The arrival of players like Angel di Maria have set United up for a top four finish

Not prolific: Danny Welbeck will not score 20 goals a season for Arsenal, warns Paul Scholes

Meanwhile, former manager Sir Alex Ferguson has expressed his amazement at United's spending this summer. 

'Certainly it's amazing, the amount of money spent nowadays,' he said at the annual UEFA coaches seminar in Nyon.

'My personal opinion is that it's never going to change, the world is progressing, and transfer fees with it, and I don't know if there will be an end to it. Fortunately, I'm not at the hub of it nowadays.'

Manchester United's Radamel Falcao's incredible career so far

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