Since joining Manchester United back in 2016 for a club-record transfer fee, Paul Pogba has often found himself at the centre of the controversies. In his five seasons at the club till now, he has repeatedly found it difficult to stay fit for a long period of time. Recently, his future at the Theatre of Dreams has once again come under question as Ralf Rangnick clarified his intentions about the Frenchman.
The club has offered him a new contract but his agent Mino Raiola has indicated that due to offers from various other clubs, they are in no rush to sign it anytime soon. In fact, Raiola may lure his client away from Old Trafford, if that benefits him personally. Pogba himself is yet to talk about the situation publicly but as things stand, he is also unwilling to continue under the current circumstances.
Mino Raiola to @Sport1 on Paul Pogba's future: "We have many offers for Pogba, including a contract extension proposal [from Man United] We'll see what's best for him". 🔴 #MUFC #Bayern
Advertisement"Pogba to FC Bayern? Impossible – they're not paying this kind of salary". 🇫🇷 @berger_pj pic.twitter.com/DyoRJ5xkJC
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) December 10, 2021
Ralf Rangnick is not happy with Paul Pogba
Manchester United’s newly appointed interim manager Ralf Rangnick has not held back and has decided to clarify his stand on the whole situation. He has made it clear that Pogba is ‘worth keeping’ but the drive must come from the player’s side, not from the club’s and the manager’s sides.
Rangnick: "He [Pogba] can be an important player but this is true for all the other players that we have and I'm not just the coach of Paul Pogba." #mulive
— utdreport (@utdreport) December 10, 2021
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He further added, “If a player does not want to play for a club like Manchester United, even in the long term, I don’t think it makes sense to convince him to change his mind”. After his rehabilitation programme in Dubai, Paul Pogba was due to return to the club on Friday. So, a conversation between him and Rangnick may take place afterwards.
Rangnick is certainly looking for a clear answer from Pogba as, on one hand, offloading him will open up a chunk of space in the wage bill which can then be utilised to sign players that suit Rangnick’s style of play and on the other hand, retaining Pogba will mean having a world-class midfielder on the roster who can maximize the team’s attacking output.
So, the situation is complicated at the moment. Also, if Pogba really wants to stay and fight for his place in the team, the Frenchman will also need to prove his worth by performing well under the new manager. His best-ever solo season in the Manchester United shirt was under Jose Mourinho in the 2018/19 season but since then, he has struggled to replicate it. So, unless something surprising happens in the coming weeks, these comments may well mark the beginning of the end of Pogba’s career at United.
