Paul Pogba's future was "always pointing away from Manchester" this season according to Gary Neville.
The Frenchman said last summer that he wanted to seek a new challenge which led to mounting speculation about his future.
Real Madrid and Juventus were both circling around the midfielder but United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer dismissed the idea of the club's record signing heading for pastures news.
But Neville believes an Old Trafford exit has always seemed likely with Pogba's agent Mino Raiola questioning United's ability to challenge for trophies.
The World Cup winner has been injured for large parts of the season but could find it difficult to secure a move away should clubs curb spending following the coronavirus pandemic.
Neville told Sky Sports: "I think the direction all season of Pogba's career was always pointing away from Manchester in the sense that there was so much speculation, his agent was coming out all the time.
"I just wonder now what's happened, obviously with coronavirus and the economic reset in football.
"Which clubs are really going to be able to buy Paul Pogba for the reputed £80-100 million pounds that was being talked about? Which clubs are going to pay the huge wages Paul Pogba's on at Manchester United?
"I'm not diminishing him as a player, I'm talking about the whole economic situation the whole world finds itself in.
"So Paul Pogba may have to, may want to, sit at Man Utd now for the next 12- 18 months, and look at the fact that he's got a club he can play at with Bruno Fernandes, Fred, with McTominay, Matic, Maguire, Wan-Bissaka, Brandon Williams, De Gea in goal and then Mason Greenwood, Martial and Rashford up front. You sort of look at that as a core group of players who are a really good age.
"Manchester United still need to add 3-5 players of really high quality to that, and they are in a position to be able to capitalise on that this summer in the transfer market. Because they will be one of the clubs to still have some sort of ability to do some business."
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