Manchester United think Mino Raiola is the only person who wants Paul Pogba to secure a summer transfer rather than the player himself, reports say. The France international has been linked with Real Madrid and Juventus. But, with the coronavirus crisis hitting both club’s finances hard, the 2018 World Cup winner could be forced to stay at Old Trafford.
Manchester United re-signed Pogba from Juventus in 2016 with Ed Woodward installed with the belief the France international could help them win the Premier League title.
Four years on, though, and that’s yet to happen.
The 27-year-old has been inconsistent for United ever since his sensational return. While he’s won the EFL Cup and Europa League at Old Trafford, he’s got nowhere near winning the biggest prizes on offer.
Talk of a move away has been rife, with Real Madrid and Juventus both showing transfer interest in the 2018 World Cup winner ahead of the summer.
Yet The Times say there’s a feeling within United that Raiola is the only person who wants Pogba to leave the club this summer.
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They think Raiola actually wants it more than Pogba himself, who has been coy about his long-term future at the club for some time now.
Last summer, he expressed a belief that the time was potentially right for him to embark on a new challenge elsewhere.
But, at a time where Real were courting the midfielder, United held firm and ended up keeping hold of their prized asset.
Pogba has struggled this season, however, with injuries restricting him to just eight appearances across all competitions so far.
Yet United are counting on him for the future and are hopeful he’ll be able to shine alongside Bruno Fernandes when the Premier League starts up again.
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“Sometimes they’ve been on the border of diabolical, and occasionally they’ve been brilliant. When you cost that kind of money as a player, fans expect you to be consistently great, especially when you’re playing for Man United. Their expectations are very high.
“The on the pitch performances, plus his behaviour off the pitch, with his agent and generally acting up, isn’t good for the club.
“If Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is looking to take the club forward, to build and to instil the ‘United Way’ back into the team, then Pogba’s actions don’t reflect that.
“The way he’s been acting and behaving recently, he just isn’t good for the club. If you want the right attitude and mentality, and high standards, then sorry, but that doesn’t fit in with Paul Pogba.
“There’s been too many distractions, too many reports around him and his behaviour, so his time for me is up.”
