What is the story?
Manchester United icon Gary Neville has explained why the Red Devils should not block Paul Pogba's transfer if the player himself wants a move away from Old Trafford.
Neville believes that United are a better team when Pogba plays, but stated that the club must not keep any player who wants to leave.
In case you didn't know...
Since his return to United in 2016, Pogba has proven himself to be an asset for the club. With 16 goals and 11 assists in all competitions, Pogba was United's highest goal scorer and the top assist provider last season, but the Frenchman was inconsistent throughout the season, and faced a lot of criticism from fans and pundits alike as a result of his below-par displays.
Meanwhile, United endured a terrible campaign by their standards and they will not feature in the Champions League for the upcoming season. Pogba and co. were not able to help their team get into the top four of the Premier League.
Since Zinedine Zidane's shocking return to Real Madrid, Pogba has been linked with a move away from Old Trafford. The French midfielder expressed his desire to play for Los Blancos few months ago and recently stated that he is searching for a new challenge. Moreover, Juventus are reportedly keen to make a move for their former player.
The heart of the matter
In an interview with Sky Sports, Neville said:
"They don't have to keep any player. Manchester United are a better team when Paul Pogba plays but if players don't want to be at the club - that doesn't mean Pogba, he may want to be at the club - you have to get everybody onside and aligned with where you're going."
"Ultimately, that's the first thing Ole had to do - to work out who was going to be ready for the club moving forward. I'm still unsure on many players."
"I see the speculation on Sky Sports News and online and it looks like it could be moving all the time. You've got to get players in before you let them go because being armed with the money makes you vulnerable."
What is next?
It remains to be seen how Manchester United fare in the transfer window.