Sir Alex Ferguson eyes Eden Hazard as potential heir to Paul Scholes' midfield throne Having been handed his Lille debut as a 16 year-old in November 2007, Hazard was dubbed "Little Messi" by then-coach Claude Puel because of apparent similarities in the player's attacking play from the right flank. But Hazard was also urged to show "more charisma" by former Belgium coach Dick Advocaat to realise his potential. Ferguson's decision to reinstate Paul Scholes to his squad following the 37 year-old's retirement about-turn in January has highlighted the need for a long-term replacement for the veteran, however. And while Athletic Bilbao's Iker Muniain was hugely impressive during his team's 3-2 Europa League victory at Old Trafford last Thursday, the Spain international says he has no desire to pursue a move away from his present club. A move for Hazard could be eased with a victory for the Socialist party in the forthcoming French elections because of calls by their presidential candidate, Francois Hollande, for a 75 per cent tax rate on millionaires. Should such a proposal be implemented, it is expected to spark an exodus of leading talent from the French league, with Hazard unlikely to halt his desire to move this summer. United's pursuit of Hazard, if successful, could prove a blow to Anderson's attempts to claim a regular place at Old Trafford, five years after arriving from Porto. The 23 year-old has made just 16 first-team appearances this season because of injury problems and, having returned to the fold for the first time since Jan 8 with a substitute outing against Bilbao last week, is now awaiting the result of scans on a hamstring injury sustained in training at the week. There are fears that the injury could lead to Anderson being sidelined until the end of the season. Meanwhile, United winger Ashley Young claims that the pressure in the title race remains with City, despite Ferguson's team reclaiming top spot on Sunday. The two clubs meet at the Etihad Stadium on April 30, but having emerged unscathed from a recent run of games including clashes with Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Tottenham, Young believes United have overcome their most testing period of the campaign. He said: "I think we said if we came through the tough away fixtures then we would set ourselves up for the rest of the season. We've managed to do that away from home and our home form is key now. A lot of people might not have said that we'd be in front of City, but we've got the belief that, as long as we're winning our games, the pressure's on them.