French national Paul Pogba is reportedly set to snub a new deal with Manchester United, and preparing to set his sights on loftier targets with other European giants like PSG, who are allegedly working behind the scenes to secure his signature.
With this new scenario emerging in view of an obviously desperate imminent move away – from the club that had rolled out the red carpet for him upon his return the second time – with the self-serving midfielder playing coquettish and coy in trying to maintain the decorum that all’s well and that he’s always done the best he could, the focus has already begun shifting from the merits/demerits of the World Cup winner to the pompous legacy he had himself targeted to achieve at Old Trafford when he rejoined from Juventus.
As news emerged on Thursday evening that Pogba has turned down a new contract at United and is looking ahead to leave the club for greener pastures, a 2016 quote of his has suddenly reemerged – one which clearly outlines three objectives the midfielder has failed to achieve during his tenure at the club.
To be fair, prolonged injury spells aside, the World Cup winner had arguably played some of his finer football under ga-ga-eyed Ole Gunnar Solskjaer last season, delivering some creditable match-winning moments against Burnley and Fulham against in the midpoint of the season. But then again – wasn’t this what he was so highly-paid to be achieving after all?
After all, Solskjaer did put together a promising young squad around the Frenchman as he had always believed unwaveringly in him, so it was only to be expected that Pogba’s eventual impressive performances ultimately gave hope to fans that perhaps he might finally be rising up to play the key role in returning United to the top of English, and ultimately European, football.
Yet even then, there were already ripples on the surface of the supposedly calm waters that seemed to hint that not things were not as placid and idyllic as they appeared to be. Out of the blue on international duty for France earlier last season, news emerged in an interview with international news media about the Frenchman shamelessly waxing lyrical about his long-cherished dreams of playing for Real Madrid and even hoping that this would become reality one day in his career.
That somehow blew over and the episode was swept under the carpet.
However, not long after that, the player’s recalcitrant agent, Mino Raiola, suddenly decided to rock the United boat again and this time delivered a double whammy saying his charge was decidedly unhappy at Old Trafford and that it was time for him to say farewell to the club. Of course, the rumors purportedly circulating then were that the big guns, Juventus and Real Madrid, were only too keen to get their hands on Pogba.
Although the earlier ripples had become waves of disharmony and discontent, good old Solskjaer was still gullible enough to believe his precious Pogba was still deserving of playing a key role in revitalizing the club’s fortunes, so again the matter was laid to rest and another lull followed.
Seemingly more content in the final run-up to last term than ever, talk was suddenly rife and optimistic that Pogba was poised to ink a new deal at the club – an idea that would have been incomprehensible, at least to anyone else but the club’s boss, at previous points of his United career.
Solskjaer’s unquenchable hope would have been to persuade Pogba to sign a new contract, and to subsequently assemble a squad that was ready to mount a serious Premier League title challenge in 2021/22.
With Borussia Dortmund hotrod Jadon Sancho, and possibly even Los Blancos’ Raphael Varane on board, that dream now seems closer than ever. However, with the 28-year-old France midfielder’s excursions with the French National Team unexpectedly crashing out this summer, a massive spanner looks to have been thrown into the works for Pogba himself.
Almost immediately after Les Bleus’ ignominious exit from Euro 2020 was confirmed, where the reigning world champions lost to Switzerland, reports questioning Pogba’s future at United almost immediately began to re-emerge.
How aptly coincidental. Or is that because with the spotlights of the international stage shut down after Euro 2020, it’s time again for the lesser spotlights to flood the pitch for the more desperate glory-seekers?
As mentioned earlier, Real Madrid and Juventus had always been viewed as natural destinations for Pogba if he did decide to leave England, or at least that was how the news had been made out to be mainly because they are among Europe’s elitist top flight. Fast forward to 2021, and now Paris Saint-Germain suddenly appear to be the only ones in the supposed race for his signature with both the Spanish and the Italian clubs showing any interest at all in the player. Voila!
After two largely lackluster spells at United apart from that spirited sprint at the second half of last season, another exit would surely be the most timely end for Paul Pogba’s Manchester United controversial sojourn.
Having already seen the playmaker’s final game for the club, he will leave Old Trafford having clearly failed to achieve any of the three lofty targets he set himself during his first interview with club media following his move from Juventus back in 2016.
“I still want to win the league, first time with United, because I didn’t win the league when I left,” Pogba told MUTV in 2016.
“Champions League of course, and personally, one of my dreams, is to win the Ballon d’Or, but that will come with time. Hopefully it will come but first I want to win the Premier League, which I’ve never done.”
Yes, the Paris native had undeniably gotten close to top local honors before at United, having finished runners-up in the Premier League on two occasions in the past five years, but frustratingly for the player and his massive ego, his inability to help United to even reach a Champions League semi-final during his time there has made a Ballon D’Or win virtually impossible. And inadvertently most laughable, in view of his hoighty-toighty self-proclaimed ambitions to reach the zenith for United.
If reports are to be believed and this is not another devious ploy by crafty perpetrators behind the scenes trying again to manipulate public opinion for self-gains, PSG are allegedly preparing a £45million bid for Pogba, one which will surely test United’s resolve – who are unlikely to let him leave for anything shy of £50million.
In fact, if anything, now could be the ideal time for the club to raise some much-needed funds by dispensing with the likes of Pogba, and press on ahead with a core of players who – besides being hungry for success in Manchester – are absolutely loyal to the club they are all an integral part and parcel of.