As the Premier League's return nears, French football journalist Philippe Auclair explained to Off The Ball why he believes it would be in Manchester United's interests not to sell Paul Pogba at this time.
Prior to the temporary cessation of football in March, Paul Pogba's season had been largely disturbed by injury.
As Manchester United comfortably defeated LASK in a Europa League clash that proved to be their final game before the halt in play, the French midfielder had managed to appear in only 8 of his club's games since the season began.
With speculation surrounding his future at the club constantly mounting, Philippe Auclair explained why he believes Pogba must remain where he is for the benefit of both himself and Manchester United.
"When I look at this Manchester United side," he remarked of the team Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has created largely in the French midfielder's absence this season, "and I look at the impact Bruno Fernandes has had, I personally cannot wait to see how Paul Pogba and Fernandes play together."
Recruited by the club in the January transfer window, Bruno Fernandes made a quick impression on a team that was rightfully thought to be missing the exact creative spark the Portuguese midfielder assures.
With a number of goals and assists to his name already, however, Fernandes and Pogba have yet to play alongside one another in Solskjaer's team.
"For me, it seems so obvious that something very special could happen," he remarked of the partnership that both players could strike up in the same midfield. "Bruno Fernandes is certainly the kind of player who will trigger something in Paul Pogba.
"He is a born competitor and you would love to see what happens. So, and again this is just my personal opinion, this would be the worst possible time for Manchester United to even think about selling Pogba."
In a discussion that also dwelt on Pogba's impressive performances throughout France's 2018 World Cup win, Philippe Auclair considered what it would mean for the midfielder's legacy if he were to leave United in the near future.
"He would be a failure in the eyes of everybody," he suggested. "What has he done? He has won a couple of trophies and had a few good games, but he's been nowhere near the Paul Pogba we were expecting."
You can listen back to Philippe Auclair in full on Off The Ball from 7:00 pm tonight. Alternatively, this interview will be available as a podcast or indeed as a video on OTB's YouTube channel later this evening.
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