Rio Ferdinand echoes Mino Raiola's Paul Pogba stance amid Man Utd's "failure"

Rio Ferdinand has hit out at Manchester United 's "failures" as he backs Paul Pogba's decision not to sign a new contract with the club.

United's French midfielder started their Champions League clash against Atalanta on Tuesday night having recently found himself sidelined by manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer amid uncertainty over a new contract.

Pogba's current deal expires at the end of the season meaning he will become a free agent should United fail to tie down the man who cost them £89million when he rejoined the club back in 2016.

A move abroad looks likely for the midfielder who has reportedly attracted interest from Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain and former club Juventus, while agent Mino Raiola is believed to have contacted Barcelona as he continues to plot Pogba's United exit.

Paul Pogba will leave Manchester United for free next summer if he doesn't agree on a new deal ( Image:

MARCO BERTORELLO/AFP via Getty Images)

With much speculation surrounding the Frenchman's future, former Red Devil Ferdinand has surprisingly supported the decision not to sign a new deal, admitting that he too would do the same in Pogba's position.

"I wouldn't commit if I was him. I've got to be honest, I wouldn't," the former England centre back told his Rio Ferdinand Presents FIVE YouTube channel. "The reason why I wouldn't commit if I was him is because, well they [Manchester United] haven't got the best out of me yet what am I going to waste any more years here for if they've not got the best out of me before.

"Unless someone else comes in, or Ole can show me in these next few months where I'm going to be put in this team and the team's going to be set up for me to be able to produce my best football.

"I don't care who you are... Ronaldo, he's on his own. But every other player needs to be put in a system to be able to perform to their best capabilities. That's it, simple as that. And he hasn't been put in the best positions and the best place.

"It's not all managers' fault, trust me, Paul has to take some responsibility as well. That's a given, but it's not all Paul."

Pogba has often found himself criticised for his United performances, but Ferdinand took further aim at his old club for their inability to get the best out of the 2018 World Cup winner.

HAVE YOUR SAY! Where will Paul Pogba be playing his football next season?Join the debate below

Rio Ferdinand backed Pogba's decision not to commit his future to Manchester United in a dig at his old club ( Image:

BT Sport)

"The biggest thing for me is that when Pogba leaves this football club, which he is going to at some point here, if it's this summer he leaves this summer, people will go, 'Oh, he was a failure. He was this, he was that'," he added.

"But I would say that it's been a failure of the club as well. Because when you see him for France, what he does for France, you can't tell me it's not there.

"So when you spend the money you spent on someone like that you build around him and you put the team in a position that he's going to actually be able to produce his best football.

Pogba's agent Mino Raiola has reportedly contacted Barcelona as he continues to plot his client's United exit ( Image:

Corbis via Getty Images)

"I don't think that any manager has been able to unlock him in a red shirt in the Man United team."

With a new deal yet to be signed, Pogba could arrange a pre-contract agreement with another club as early as January next year before then joining for free in the summer.