French International Paul Pogba is all set to run down his Manchester United contract and leave on a free. Paul Pogba has failed to emulate his performances in a French jersey at the Theatre of Dreams. His struggles at the club might be coming to an end as he looks to leave in the coming months.
Paul Pogba’s transfer was touted as the transformative signing under Jose Mourinho in 2016. His homecoming to his boyhood club added more emotions to his return. However, since his return, he has failed to win the Champions League or the Premier League with Manchester United. In the meantime, he has won the World Cup and the Nations League with France.
What went wrong with Paul Pogba?
In his first season at the club, he won 3 trophies at the club under Jose Mourinho. However, there were a lot of questions about his performances. He was inconsistent with his performances and was only getting up to the speed of the Premier League. He ended the season on a high with a goal in the Europa League final. This was his most successful season at the club.
Since then it has all been downhill for their alliance. Paul Pogba and Manchester United have failed to win a trophy since 2016.
Pogba found his feet in his second season at United and grabbed 10 assists and 6 goals. United though finished 2nd in the league and failed to win any other trophy. United did not strengthen their squad by investing in the market. Meanwhile, Liverpool and City made some big-name signings which bridged a gap between United and the other clubs.
Pogba crumbled under the added responsibility of being the playmaker and also defending for his team. United’s failure to support him with a defensive midfielder pulled him back. He did not play with freedom and was often caught out of position.
Pogba and Mourinho went against each other in their third season at United. Pogba’s social media antics were the talk of the town and Mourinho seemed to disapprove. Pogba was dropped as the United captain under Mourinho. Mourinho though was sacked mid-season and Pogba prevailed under caretaker manager Solskjaer.
His best personal season :
Pogba recorded his best stats under Solskjaer in the 18/19 season by grabbing 13 goals and 9 assists in that season. Injuries came into play soon after that. He had two long-term injuries which saw him miss the majority of the 2019 season. Since 2016, injuries have kept Pogba out for 84 games which is a significant number.
His agent has been loud about Pogba’s will to leave United in the summer. United already have a contract on the table for him to sign but there has been no willingness from Pogba to sign.
It remains to be seen if he can end his time at United with a trophy by winning the Champions League. A trophy to end their alliance will be a bittersweet ending. However, there seems to be a shift from player power under Ralf Rangick and it may well be time for Manchester United to move on.
A return to Juventus, a galactico move to Real Madrid, and a move to the French capital Paris are all a possibility for the World Cup winner.
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