Manchester United should cut their losses and sell Paul Pogba after an unfulfilling second stint at the club.
That is the view of Sir Alex Ferguson's former United assistant Rene Meulensteen, who coached Pogba when he was a youngster at Old Trafford and has criticised the player and his agent.
The Frenchman has been heavily touted for an exit from the club as he contract runs down, with his notorious representative Mino Raiola saying Pogba is "unhappy" at United and that his career in Manchester is "over".
Meulensteen slammed the timing of Raiola's comments, made on the eve of a vital Champions League clash against RB Leipzig, which United lost despite a goal from Pogba, who impressed off the bench.
"Very very unhelpful and it seems to not go away," Meulensteen told Sky Sports when asked about the recurring Pogba question and Raiola's outburst.
"It's a constant point of discussion since Paul Pogba returned to Manchester United, we've had it with different managers and still they haven't been able to help."
Meulensteen believes United made a mistake in cementing Pogba as part of their rebuild a few years ago, and that now is the time to "twist" and sell.
"Not long ago they extended his contract and to put that out ahead of the game against Leipzig is very poor practice from his agent," he added.
"I'm not sure how much Paul would have had an influence on it but I would have thought that it's important, as a player, you want the best from your team and this was a big distraction.
"I think it's important you look at the team and where you want to go. They talk about a long-term project all the time and Paul has been a part of that, which is why they gave him an extended contract. The club has gone: 'we want a long term project with Paul Pogba' because they think he's an important player for the future.
"My personal opinion is they should twist and that Paul has not lived up to expectations or performed to the standard I would expect from a player like him."
