Super-agent Mino Raiola has almost officially declared that Paul Pogba’s time at Manchester United has come, just 24 hours prior to the Red Devils’ do-or-die Champions League clash with RB Leipzig – proving club legends Roy Keane and Gary Neville right.
Only a day before the Red Devils face a must-not-lose clash with RB Leipzig in the Champions League, Pogba and his controversial agent again dominated the headlines with the latter, Mino Raiola, telling Tuttosport: “I can say that it’s over for Paul Pogba at Manchester United.”
“Paul is unhappy. He is no longer able to express himself as he would like and as expected of him. He has to change teams; he has to change the air.
“He has a contract that will expire in a year and a half, but I think the best solution for the parties is to sell him in the next market.”
This is of course not the first time Raiola has turned his guns on the Red Devils, inciting club legends Gary Neville and Roy Keane to get involved, with Neville accusing Raiola of trying to “embarrass” the club whilst predicting it would inevitably end with his departure as he warned the club they needed to make a stand.
“It will end with Paul Pogba, I think, leaving Manchester United,” Neville told Sky Sports.
“What needs to happen is that the club needs to make a stance on that agent. That agent has messed them around now for years and years with Pogba and with other players.
“Why they allow him and why they allow themselves to be played off him I’ll never know.
“He’s a serious thorn in the side for them and Manchester United should just stand strong and say, ‘look, we don’t do business with this guy. If you’re represented by him, we won’t deal with you’.
“He’s publicly trying to embarrass the club all the time. At the end of the day, he’s obviously defending his player and sticking up for Paul Pogba.
“But I don’t think what Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said was an aggressive move against Paul Pogba.
“He was saying he’s Manchester United’s player, they’ve paid £90million for him and they want him to stay at the club and play well. He wasn’t claiming ownership of him by any stretch of the imagination.
“Raiola wants to create a situation. He wants Pogba out the club, he wants his next pay day off him.
“He’s made tens and tens of million pounds off that player and he’ll continue to do so for the rest of his playing days. He’s a golden egg for Mino Raiola.”
Keane took things a step further with his stern warning, telling his former club they are left with hardly any choice but to get rid of the French World Cup winner.
“There’s been lots of noises coming out of Pogba’s camp for a number of months,” Keane said.
“The simple thing I would do is move him on in the summer. He is a good player but there is too much baggage with him and his agent so just move him on.
“Sometimes you have to lose to win. It might backfire on you, but if it’s not right for the club and these agents are laughing at you, then let these lads go. Look at the bigger picture.
“Don’t be chasing after these players who don’t really want to be at the club.
“I don’t think Pogba wants to be there. So just shake his hand and off you go.”
United had earlier ignored Keane’s advice and also failed to address Neville’s warning Raiola would not refrain from trying to embarrass the club.
Now, as a result, United have again been undermined ahead of a huge game the consequences of which would trigger different permutations for their future, while also leaving Pogba’s future looking increasingly hazy ahead of the January transfer window.
Credit: Football Tribe Malaysia
