Paul Pogba’s future must be one of the biggest questions for Manchester United when it comes to the future of their first-team players. The Frenchman is under contract until the end of the 2020-21 season, but there’s no clarity on whether he wants to stay at the club or not.
His agent, Mino Raiola, was very explicit when he said Pogba could be available “following the 2020 European Championships”. However, United also has the option to extend Pogba’s tenure at Old Trafford for an additional 12-month period without Pogba’s approval. That clause, however, would reportedly “anger” the France international.
By now, it seems clear Pogba wants to leave the club. Some reports have indicated the team’s recent successes could make him change his mind, but that’s unlikely. His agent wants to take him away as soon as possible. Both Juventus and Real Madrid are open to pay as much as €100m to sign the 27-year-old playmaker.
The biggest doubt, then, lies on what should United do. Should they extend the contract in hopes of convincing to stay for a long-term scenario? Or do they part ways with him now that his value remains relatively high? Pogba has also suffered with injuries this season, starting just six games during the entire campaign in all competitions.
What should Manchester United do with Pogba in the coming months?
Players like Pogba do not grow on trees. However, do Manchester United really need him? Scott McTominay continues to impress with his development, Fred has taken a huge step forward in his play, and Bruno Fernandes has won every right to be the team’s starting n°10 moving forward. Pogba, right now, would have to “fight” with Fred and Nemanja Matic to play as a central midfielder.
Another thing to consider is Pogba’s level of commitment. The Frenchman plays best when he’s engaged but, when he’s not, he can be detrimental to the team’s successes. Can Manchester United take that risk?
That’s a risk too big to take, especially knowing Manchester United can add two quality players with the money they can acquire with a potential sale of Pogba. At this point, he has more value as a potential transfer asset.
The ideal scenario would be to keep him at the club and have him motivated, because he can be a game-changing player under those conditions. But if that’s not the case, then there’s no point in keeping him around. Especially when he can bring a decent amount of cash after a potential transfer.
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