Paul Pogba signed for Manchester United FC in 2016 to much applause and cheer from the Red Devils faithful. However, fast forward to 2020, the applause, as well as the cheer for the World-Cup winning midfielder, has died down considerably around the Old Trafford.
The French international was a famed product of the Manchester United FC academy and had even turned out for the Premier League side on three occasions before making a switch to Juventus FC in order to develop more as a player.
Pogba was brought up the Red Devils ranks by Manchester United FC managerial icon, Sir Alex Ferguson, who was manager of the Premier League side during Pogba’s first stint as a player at Old Trafford. However, Ferguson could not give many opportunities to the young Frenchman at that time due to the presence of much senior squad members.
While playing for Italian giants Juventus FC for a duration of four years, Pogba’s name resonated throughout the footballing world. His performances for the Old Lady made him a star in Europe, with the midfielder’s ability on the ball being praised universally. Pogba soon became a favourite among the Juventus FC supporters with his jovial nature off the pitch.
With Pogba playing a heroic role in Juventus FC reaching the finals of the 2016 UEFA Champions League, and nearly completing a treble with the Italian side, there was a clamour among the Manchester United FC supporters urging their team’s ownership to resign Pogba.
However, unknown to many people, then Manchester United FC manager Jose Mourinho was already plotting a move for the Juventus FC midfielder. The Portuguese coach wanted to bolster his squad at Old Trafford and Pogba fit the bill for a world-class player for the Red Devils.
Pogba’s signing was announced shortly with the player being tipped for a hugely successful second stint at the Premier League side. Significant noise was made about the money paid to acquire Pogba, which was a then world record transfer fee of £89.3 million. The sum paid by Manchester United FC to sign Pogba broke the previous record held by Real Madrid for Gareth Bale’s transfer.
The 2016-17 season, Pogba’s first in the Red Devils shirt during the second stint at the club, was largely a successful one for the player. Manchester United FC went on to win two trophies during the calendar year, the EFL Cup and the UEFA Europa League. In the final of the latter tournament, Pogba scored the match-winning goal.
However, trouble soon started to brew between the player and Jose Mourinho. The personal issues between the duo came amid a stumbling set of performances on the pitch by the Manchester United FC squad. Both of Pogba’s second and third seasons as a Red Devils player turned out to be rather forgetful for the Frenchman.
Mourinho’s tussle with Pogba refused to die down in subsequent months. However, things took an ugly turn when Pogba was seen getting involved in a training ground confrontation with the Portuguese in a video clip which surfaced online. Media speculation suggested that either of the two were on the way out of Old Trafford in the near future.
The departure of Mourinho from the Manchester United FC dugout was followed by the appointment of former Red Devils icon Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. The Norwegian manager insisted that he had complete faith in Pogba’s abilities as a player and reassured the team’s fans that the French international was not leaving the side for Real Madrid.
The 2019-20 season will end on a sour note for Pogba, barring any spectacular performances from the player in the remaining fixtures of the Red Devils. Manchester United FC still needs to guarantee their Champions League berth for next season and with Pogba being fully fit, the player would be hopeful of contributing towards his side’s cause.
The current season has seen Pogba’s time on the pitch limited due to injury troubles. Moreover, the signing of Bruno Fernandes earlier this year has shifted the spotlight from Pogba to the Portuguese attacking midfielder, who has impressed in his initial outings in the Manchester United FC shirt.
However, there is a great deal of excitement among the Manchester United FC supporters who can’t wait to see Fernandes and Pogba link up in the Red Devils midfield. Both the players are world-class if they hit their top gear and could take Solskjaer’s side to great heights in the coming seasons.
The chance of Pogba being the perfect midfield pairing alongside Fernandes depends upon the French international’s desire to stay at Old Trafford. With constant rumours linking Pogba with a move to Real Madrid, there is a great deal of uncertainty regarding the player’s future at Manchester United FC.
The Red Devils had rejected an approach from the Los Blancos last summer who had offered a sum of £27.6 million plus Columbian attacker James Rodríguez in exchange for Pogba. However, Solskjaer had been persistent on not letting his player leave the Premier League side.
There is no doubt among fans and football pundits alike that if Pogba is focused on staying at Old Trafford, the 27 year old will turn in a brilliant set of performances for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s Manchester United FC side. However, there is a big ‘if’ involved in that statement.
