It’s time for Manchester United and Paul Pogba to end their unhappy alliance
Paul Pogba‘s potential exit from Manchester United is shaping up to be one of the longest transfer sagas of the summer.
Pogba’s return to Old Trafford in 2016 was meant to be a turning point for both club and player. The young Frenchman had left United 4 seasons before that, moving to Juventus on a free transfer.
This was after a falling-out with Sir Alex Ferguson, who strongly felt that the midfielder didn’t have the right attitude to represent one of the biggest clubs in the world.
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What followed, of course, was four consecutive Scudettos, as Pogba quickly developed into one of the best midfielders in the world. His partnership in the middle with Andrea Pirlo and Arturo Vidal was extraordinary.
He’d come full circle in 2016. He’d returned home with United in the midst of a turmoil generated by Ferguson’s retirement, and had the perfect opportunity to prove his former boss wrong.
But if anything, the last 3 seasons have only served to confirm that Sir Alex was right.
The legendary Scot has had several famous bust-ups with his players – David Beckham and Ruud van Nistelrooy come to mind. He’s let far more important players than Pogba leave the club, and he never struggled to replace them.
That superstar mentality has never been tolerated at Old Trafford. It might suit clubs like Real Madrid and PSG, but at Manchester United, the club and the manager are always bigger than the players.
There’s no doubt that Pogba is a remarkable player. He’s provided some truly world-class moments in the red shirt, but his inconsistency is shocking.
His work rate is virtually non-existent. Pogba frequently finishes matches having covered the least distance of any outfield player. He struts about the pitch with a sense of casualness and arrogance that doesn’t often go unpunished in the Premier League.
He also has no desire in winning the ball back. He often loses possession as well, while trying to showboat unnecessarily.
His numbers tell a bigger story. Pogba scored 28 goals for Juventus in 124 league appearances, but already has 24 for United in just 92 games.
Those are brilliant numbers for a box-to-box midfielder. It shows a glimpse of the incredible quality that he’s displayed in those rare flashes of brilliance. Unfortunately, he’s recently been more of a liability.
United’s recent moves in the transfer market is an indication that the club is trying to move in a new direction. Daniel James is not your typical Man United signing – a 21-year-old Championship winger with no Premier League appearance who arrived for just £15 million.
Crystal Palace right back Aaron Wan-Bissaka is expected to follow, with a deal for Sean Longstaff also in the works.
None of these players are big names, but all of them have tremendous potential, and will cost significantly less than other glamorous options available right now.
United’s post-Alex Ferguson transfer policy has been one of signing the biggest players in world football, a philosophy that extended to the recruitment of managers as well. This is in stark contrast to the kind of players Ferguson used to sign.
With several players (Pogba being the biggest culprit) becoming too big for their own shoes, the club has been led astray. Perhaps reverting to a tried and tested method will bring better results.
Pogba himself publicly admitted that he was looking for a new challenge, and it doesn’t get more explicit than that. Holding on to him would be a huge mistake now.
There are some conflicting reports about what Solskjær intends to do with the 26-year-old, with some suggesting that the Norwegian is ready to bump his wages up to a humongous £500,000 per week – on par with Alexis Sanchez.
The Daily Star, however, claims that Solskjær will let Pogba leave in order to boost the club’s summer transfer budget.
Unsurprisingly, there are no shortage of suitors. Juventus and Real Madrid currently lead the chase, and it’s genuinely hard to predict where Pogba is going to end up next season.
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For the sake of avoiding an even more toxic dressing room atmosphere at Old Trafford, it better not be at United.