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This article is part of Football FanCast's Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers...

Speaking to talkSPORT, Paul Scholes has insisted Manchester United losing Paul Pogba wouldn't be a "big loss".

What did he say?

The France World Cup winner was the subject of intense transfer speculation over the course of the summer transfer window, but a move to either Real Madrid or Juventus failed to materialise.

Since then, the midfielder has been caught up in the Red Devils' penalty controversy at Wolves, and received criticism from some quarters over his below-par performances.

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Now, Scholes has said if United were to lose him in the future, there would be players capable of stepping up to the plate.

He said: "I think it’s quite clear he wants to leave the club. He wanted to move to Real Madrid (in the summer) and for whatever reason it didn’t happen. If they ask him to stay for a year then we’ll see what happens. But I don’t think it will be a big loss to United (if he does go).

"At the end of the day his form hasn’t been great anyway over the last three or three years he’s been there. I’m sure there’s more players there who can step in and do just as good a job."

Questionable

Having been one of United's most productive performers last season with 16 goals and 11 assists, for Scholes to suggest Pogba leaving wouldn't be considered a "big loss" is quite puzzling.

Losing the kind of drama the Frenchman appears to be followed around with off-the-pitch is understandable, but the 26-year-old has been a key performer for the Red Devils since his return from Juventus.

Scholes' further suggestion that he's sure the club have more players who can "step in and do just as good a job" is incredibly short-sighted too. If there are, then why haven't they been given a chance yet?

The likes of Jose Mourinho and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer have had plenty of opportunities to turn to other players in the first-team squad or even the academy. Instead, Pogba has remained a cornerstone of the United midfield, and that perhaps says it all.