Paul Pogba would be the player to succeed back at Manchester United after his return from Juventus in 2016 for a then world record transfer fee of close to 90 million pounds.
At that time it had only been three years since United were last crowned Premier League champions and the appointment of league trophy winner Jose Mourinho as manager would consider starting a new era of success – in addition to Pogba, the club also took in Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Henrikh Mkhitaryan that summer .
But Pogba has not won anything since an EFL Cup and Europa League double in his debut season and looks increasingly likely to leave Old Trafford for the second time when he loses his contract and is considering options for what will be the final stage of his carrier.
If he decides not to sign a new contract, which would give him his choice of clubs next summer as a free agent, United must consider selling him to the highest bidder this year to avoid losing him for nothing. Under the circumstances, under £ 50 million may be the best they can hope to get.
Paul Pogba is without a contract at Man Utd next summer / Pool / Getty Images
Should Pogba leave now, he would no doubt do so after failing to meet expectations from his arrival in 2016.
The Frenchman has often been United’s best player over the past five years. But his price tag made him an easy target for criticism when the team as a whole underperformed, while regular transfer speculation (something he sometimes did a little to dampen) was difficult to escape. He also missed much of the 2019/20 season through injury.
Pogba is one of the best midfielders in the world and has been for years. The problem is that he has been at United at the wrong time, as the club has been in an endless transition period. No player can carry an otherwise average team to club-level success, which is not reflected in that player, and it would be unfair to think otherwise.
Until 2019, United never had a clear strategy. There was no overall plan. David Moyes inherited a team past his best, Louis van Gaal wanted his own set of players for a completely different vision, and so did Jose Mourinho. When Pogba arrived, the United squad was a combination of several different management regimes and not built with a long-term vision.
Man Utd lacked a proper strategy until 2019 when Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was appointed manager / Henry Browne / Getty Images
Mourinho’s claim to finish second in the Premier League 2017/18 was among his best leading performances in a career that has yielded several domestic leagues and Champions League titles sounded ridiculous at the time, but in retrospect it was perhaps more accurate than it originally seemed.
Pogba has been at United at the exact wrong time, because it is only now that the transition stage ends. The goal-oriented recruitment planning that has been carried out since 2019, the work with Ole Gunnar Solskjær and the renewed commitment to the club’s philosophy that underlies everything, are promises to make United competitive in a way they have not been in almost a decade.
For Pogba, it’s too late. He has given United the best five years of his career and has precious little to show for it. At 28, his next contract, whether in Manchester or elsewhere, may well be the last big one of his career and he must make sure it’s right.
United have to pay big bucks, maybe as much as £ 400,000 a week, to keep him and that is probably not a sound long-term investment on their part, especially when there is still doubt about his best position and exactly how he fits into the team. . Pogba, on the other hand, has an obligation to do the right thing for him, and even if United get better, he does not have time to waste.
Pogba is 28 and has a bit to show in five years at Man Utd / Phil Noble – Pool / Getty Images
Pogba joined United again when he was 23. If that transfer took place now, it would be perfect for both players and the club, who connected with an exciting and lively young squad. He was just a little too early and United came together too late.
Unfortunately, a reluctant farewell is now probably in the best interests of every party.
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