Gary Neville has urged Manchester United to make a firm stance on Mino Raiola and has defended Ole Gunnar Solskjaer over his Paul Pogba comments.
The United boss has been drawn into a public dispute with the super agent over the £ million midfielder and neville thinks it will end with the World Cup winner departing in the summer.
The war of words started after Raiola last week claimed Pogba feels more at home in Italy and that’s why his client would like to return to the Old Lady.
When Solskjaer was asked if he had spoken to the super agent the United boss replied: “I’ve not spoken to Mino that is for sure. And, no, I haven’t sat down and told Paul to tell Mino what he should say. Paul is our player and not Mino’s. “
His strongly worded statement did not deter Raiola who hit back at the Norwegian.
“Paul is not mine and for sure not Solskjær’s property,” he wrote in a statement posted on social media. ”Paul is Paul Pogba’s. You cannot own a human being already for a long time in the UK or anywhere else. I HOPE Solskjær DO NOT WANT TO SUGGEST THAT PAUL IS HIS PRISONER.
“But BEFORE Solskjær makes comments about things I say he should inform himself better about the context of what has been said. I am a free citizen who can think and express my thoughts. Until now I was maybe nice to him. Solskjær should just remember things that he said in the summer to Paul.
“I think Solskjær may be frustrated for different reasons and is now mixing up some issues. I think that Solskjær has other things to worry about. AT LEAST IF I WERE HIM I WOULD. ”
And speaking to Sky Sports after United’s 2-0 win over Chelsea
on Monday night Neville couldn’t hide his frustration at the situation.“It will end with Paul Pogba, I think, leaving Manchester United
“What needs to happen is that the club needs to make a stance on that agent. That agent has messed them around now for years and years with Pogba and with other players.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer took a no nonsense stand against Raiola. (Image: Manchester United FC
“Why they allow him and why they allow themselves to be played off him i will never know.
“He’s a serious thorn in the side for them and Manchester United should just stand strong and say, ‘look, we don’t do business with this guy. If you’re represented by him, we won’t deal with you ‘.
“He’s publicly trying to embarrass the club all the time. At the end of the day, he’s obviously defending his player and sticking up for Paul Pogba.
“But I don’t think what Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said was an aggressive move against Paul Pogba.
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“He was saying he’s Manchester United’s player, they’ve paid £ 728 million for him and they want him to stay at the club and play well. He was not claiming ownership of him by any stretch of the imagination.
“Raiola wants to create a situation. He wants Pogba out the club, he wants his next pay day off him.
“He’s made tens and tens of million pounds off that player and he’ll continue to do so for the rest of his playing days. He’s a golden egg for Mino Raiola. “
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