We've all noticed how weak the Manchester United midfield has looked in recent times. It isn't just a problem from this season, it began when Paul Scholes retired (the first time). Instead of addressing the problem by signing a world class midfielder, as many other clubs would have done, Sir Alex Ferguson gave players like Tom Cleverley a chance in the side to replace the Ginger Ninja. By January 2012, Ferguson had asked Scholes to come out of retirement.

This wasn't a long term solution and everyone at the club knew this (Scholes was 38 when he returned). New midfielders were needed to fill the void that Scholesy was going to leave. At the end of 2011/12, the problem hadn't been dealt with. The ageing playmaker signed a 1-year contract extension and instead, Robin van Persie was signed. This led to Sir Alex Ferguson being criticised - he had ignored midfield problems but had tried to solve this by signing a goalscorer.

When David Moyes took over from Ferguson he tried to replace Scholes, who had retired for the second time at the end of 2012/13, by signing Marouane Fellaini. Fellaini had been signed by Moyes when he was the Everton manager, but is he really a world class player? You can answer that. Here are midfielders that I feel United could invest in during the January transfer window to improve the quality of their play in the middle of the park:

Lars Bender (Bayer Leverkusen) - Highly rated for his shielding ability, he helped his club to a 3rd place finish in the Bundesliga in 2012/13, behind only Bayern & Dortmund, who both reached the Champions League final. His defensive capabilities, and all round play, are better than that of Fellaini.

Claudio Marchisio (Juventus) - Another playmaker still regarded as a good option by United fans. The Italian was part of the Juventus team who went 49 games unbeaten over 2011/12 and part of 2012/13. Marchisio would provide an attacking threat, as well as being able to sit in a midfield two, spraying passes around. During the summer, Marchisio stated that he was "proud" to have been linked with United. Is this clutching at straws though?

Ilkay Gündogan (Borussia Dortmund) - A key part of the Dortmund midfield for the last two seasons, 23-year-old Gündogan has showed that he is a brilliant player. Scoring a penalty equaliser for Dortmund in their All-German Champions League Final clash with Bayern, the talented midfielder was unable to add a Champions League winner's medal to his honours list. Well known for his passing ability, he could be the creative outlet that Manchester United need.

The question that is still being asked of United is why they didn't sign a midfielder of proven quality, rather than spend £27m on Fellaini, who was only proven at a mid-table Everton side. Maybe United fans will get some joy in the form of a midfield signing in January. They'll definitely be hoping so.