Manchester United’s transfer saga continues to go on and on. The latest development has been the departure of Paul Pogba for Manchester City, which will likely lead to a rift between he and Jose Mourinho this season.
Paul Pogba is a football player who has been part of Manchester United for the last 4 seasons. He has become one of the best midfielders in Europe and was considered to be one of the most talented players in world football. His career at Manchester United seems destined to end with him walking away again after his current contract expires.
15 November 2021
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Dawson, Rob Correspondent
Paul Pogba’s return to Manchester United was intended to signal the start of a new era at Old Trafford, but it’s in danger of repeating the same mistakes he made when he originally departed in 2012. At £89.3 million, the France midfielder remains the club’s most expensive acquisition, and he is seven months away from becoming a free agent for the second time.
It wasn’t supposed to be this way.
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Ed Woodward, the company’s executive vice-chairman, described Pogba’s acquisition from Juventus in 2016 as a “watershed moment” in the company’s history, despite tough competition from Real Madrid. United were unable to stop Cristiano Ronaldo from joining Real Madrid in 2009, and for Woodward, Pogba’s arrival signaled a shift in the tide, announcing to their peers and competitors that they were once again a dominant force in European football. However, it did not result in the wave of success he hoped for, and there have been as many contentious moments as there have been goals, assists, and championships.
Pogba injured his thigh during a shooting drill with the France national team on Monday, and while he was initially ruled out for two months, by the time he returns, he’ll be eligible to begin talks with clubs outside the Premier League about a precontract agreement ahead of a possible free transfer on July 1. It was the same in 2012, when Pogba, then 19, left Manchester United for Juventus; how it will finish this time is still unknown, and how it will play out from here depends on who you ask.
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When Woodward took over as manager at Old Trafford in 2013, he made it his goal to meet Raiola in the hopes that their friendship would pay off in the future. It aided Pogba’s return to United, but it isn’t enough to keep him there.
Raiola’s constant public assertions that the player is unhappy have irritated the club. “It’s finished between Manchester United and Pogba,” he declared on the day of a crucial Champions League group game against RB Leipzig in December 2020. Manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was first enraged by the timing of Pogba’s remarks, but eventually accepted Pogba’s explanation that the interview took place over a week ago.
Although Solskjaer has been hailed for his man management, ESPN has learned that some players are dissatisfied with what they perceive to be preferential treatment. During his time in command, Jose Mourinho stated that he did everything to encourage Pogba, including public praise and criticism, but nothing appeared to work. Mourinho’s connection with Pogba had totally broken down towards the conclusion of his tenure, but Solskjaer has gone out of his way to keep the player happy and involved.
Pogba’s efforts have not always been rewarded; in his last two games, he was sent off after 15 minutes against Liverpool and replaced early against Atalanta after a poor showing. Pogba, on the other hand, opened the season with seven assists in his first four league games.
His second stay at United has been marked by “brilliant one minute, liability the next.” If this is the start of the end (again), it’s hard to argue that United has gotten the most out of their most costly acquisition. The next era of prosperity at Old Trafford is on pause until this story is settled.
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