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This article is part of Football FanCast's Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news...

As reported by Sky Sports, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has insisted that he is still planning on building the Manchester United side around Paul Pogba, amid speculation the midfielder could be leaving.

What's the word?

Reports in recent weeks and months had suggested that Pogba could be on his way out of Old Trafford this summer after an up-and-down campaign. The France World Cup winner has seen his name linked with the likes of Real Madrid and Juventus, and his agent, Mino Raiola, confirmed the player's desire to leave.

Could Paul Pogba be on his way out of Old Trafford? 442oons have put their unqiue spin on the matter in the video below...

However, Solskjaer has now suggested that the Frenchman continues to be a big part of his plans and revealed he could still be an important part of his line-up.

The United boss said: "Paul is a fantastic player, a fantastic human being and has always been a great professional. I've had a great relationship with him, I had him in the reserves a few years back.

"And I said (previously), 'if he's in your squad, you'd build your team around him', and I haven't changed that much since then, so I would say the same now."

A risky game

Another tactical ploy to get him to stay? Solskjaer's latest comments on his mercurial midfielder come on the back of him insisting in recent weeks that there is an "agenda" against his player and that he fully backs him.

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The Norwegian is seemingly adamant on retaining Pogba's services beyond the end of the summer transfer window and the reported decision of Juventus to end their interest in the 26-year-old certainly strengthens United's case.

But in being so unequivocally sure-fire in claiming he wants to "build" his side around Pogba, the room for anything but him wearing the Red Devils shirt come the beginning of the season is non-existent. In a sense, Solskjaer has backed United into a corner and selling him now after being so effusive in his praise of the Frenchman would be tantamount to a failure.