Manchester United greats Rio Ferdinand and Paul Scholes have clashed over Paul Pogba and his agent Mino Raiola.
Before defeat at RB Leipzig last night and elimination from the Champions League, the pair debated Raiola's claims of Pogba leaving United in January.
On BT Sport, they declared:
Ferdinand: “I think the timing is disgusting from a player's agent, an important player at the club's agent.
“But I'm going to shift the focus more to Manchester United. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Ed Woodward probably as well. How are you allowing an agent to come in and talk like this? This isn't the first time.
“You nip it in the bud the first time does it. Now this isn't the first time Mino Raiola has spoken like this about a player with a negative focus on Manchester United. You nip that in the bud the first time he does it.
“I was at United when Wayne Rooney was talking about a contract. We were all there, he was talking about leaving Manchester United.
“Sir Alex Ferguson went into the media straight away and said, 'listen, he's being advised badly by his agent and this will not happen again, I'm going to nip it in the bud'.
“A couple of days later, Wayne Rooney signs a new contract. If you don't nip these things in the bud…
“Van de Beek comes in, doesn't play, after the first month his agent is out there speaking in the media. How is this happening?"
Scholes: “Rio, I don't think the club have to respond to that."
Ferdinand: “Why not? So every player that comes into the club, the agent are going to be sitting there chatting."
Scholes: “Why give the agents the time of day? Paul Pogba is the problem. Paul pays this man to represent him."
Ferdinand: “I agree with you."
Scholes: “Now he represents him badly because Paul is a good lad.
“Everybody looking from the outside, because of his agent, they'll think he's a bad lad, they'll think he's trouble in the dressing room. He isn't.
“There's two options I think Paul has - he either tells him to shut up or he sacks him."
Ferdinand: “I agree with that, but what I'm saying to you, Man Utd should be taking it out, they shouldn't be waiting for a player to talk."
Scholes: “Man Utd have got enough on their plate trying to get the team to where they want to be."
Ferdinand: “And they're being destabilised by an agent and they're allowing it."
Scholes: “Well they should be destabilised. What destabilises them?"
Ferdinand: “Well why are we talking about now? Before their most important game of the season?"
Scholes: “It destabilises us and fans, I don't think the team is destabilised. Do you think if you were in the team today you'd be bothered by it?"
Ferdinand: “So when we were in the team and Wayne Rooney is talking about going to Chelsea or Man City, I don't want that, I don't need that in the public domain."
Scholes: “You don't want it but I don't think it affects you, does it?"
