David De Gea to Real Madrid: Paul Scholes blasts 'out of order' Manchester United goalkeeper for missing start of the season

United manager Louis van Gaal has labelled De Gea 'unselectable' after losing focus amid talk of a move to Real Madrid

Manchester United goalkeeper David De Gea (Getty Images)

Paul Scholes has laid into Manchester United's want-away goalkeeper David De Gea and branded him "out of order" over his absence from the first team this season.

De Gea is pushing to secure a move to Real Madrid and with just a year remaining on his contract at Old Trafford, has pushed the club into a situation where they must sell or face the prospect of losing him for free next summer.

Having been named their Player of the Season for the past two years, United are desperate not to allow De Gea to leave, and while club legend Scholes believe the club need to be thankful for De Gea helping United return to the Champions League he also blasted him for losing focus amid the ongoing transfer speculation.

“How can you lose focus?” Scholes questioned on BT Sport’s live coverage of United’s 4-0 victory over Club Brugge that secured a 7-1 aggregate victory over the Belgian side in the Champions League play-off.

“'That's the thing for me. He is getting paid by this club, it is a brilliant club.

United goalkeeper David De Gea (GETTY IMAGES)

“They paid a lot of money on a young keeper to give him this chance. If the manager is right and says he has lost focus then yeah, I think he is out of order.

“He should be in that team playing. If it wasn't for him last year, they probably wouldn't be in this position tonight so they have to thank him for that.”

Andy Cole, Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes (Getty Images)

Scholes was not the only one who expressed concerns over the transfer saga. His former United colleague-turned-BT Sport pundit Rio Ferdinand was on hand in the studio to add his weight to the argument, and the ex-England captain admitted that selling the 24-year-old to Real would set a bad precedent over future players at the club who feel they can move on to bigger and better things when the likes of Real and Barcelona come calling.

“I think it sets the tone,” Ferdinand added. “I think it tells players you can get out of this club easy.

“No you can't. If we want you stay and you are one of our better players then you will stay here and play under our conditions. That sets the tone.

BT Sport pundit Rio Ferdinand (Getty Images)

“It is disappointing to see it get to this stage. It has become a bit tit-for-tat, there is a lot going on behind the scenes we can't explain because we don't know, but you've got to play him.

“Knowing David like we do, he has been a solid professional for the whole time he has been at Manchester United.

“He has never stepped out of line and I'd be surprised if he has done that. But the manger says so, so we have to abide by that.”

The one positive for United fans is that Real have one day less than Premier League clubs to get the deal over the line. With the English transfer window closing at 6pm on Tuesday due to a Bank Holiday Monday, clubs have been given an extra 24 hours to tie up any late moves, but there is no bank holiday in Spain and so the transfer window will shut on time on Monday at 23:59.