Manchester United fans may interpret Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's statements about Paul Pogba's future as arrogance, or they may see them as promising.
Pogba may have turned down a contract extension at Old Trafford, and it's only a matter of time before Paris Saint-Germain comes calling with a low-ball offer, with some estimating a figure of £43 million.
DON'T MISS:
Manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, speaking after United's friendly match against QPR yesterday, sounded upbeat about the Frenchman's future at the club.
‘There is always gossip about Paul and clubs being interested, and we have seen Paul at his best,' added Solskjaer.
‘Paul understands how we feel about it, and I've liked working with him, and I hope we can continue to collaborate.
‘I'm not in the details of every single one of the negotiations between the club and Paul's representation.' I don't have anything to say about it. Let's wait and see what occurs.
Talks between Paul's representation and the club's representatives are ongoing. Paul has shown his excitement for the season in every conversation I've had with him.'
Pogba's agent, Mino Raiola, may be the stumbling block in contract extensions, rather than the player himself.
Gianluigi Donnarumma, another Raiola client, recently left AC Milan on a free transfer after failing to reach an agreement on a new contract. Raiola's own demand of €20 million to broker the purchase was widely cited as a major factor in the breakup. The Rossoneri stood firm in their refusal to pay.
DON'T MISS:
It's probable that he's demanding something similar, if not more, in terms of his personal pay for Pogba's deal.
Any team, including PSG, would be delighted to have a player of Pogba's caliber on their roster. It would be equivalent to a lifelong United supporter joining Liverpool in a family of United supporters (the Pogba family are devout Marseille supporters).
That fact has not gone unnoticed by PSG supporters, who have erected large signs declaring Pogba's unavailability at both the Parc des Princes and the club's training facilities.
Gini Wijnaldum, Marco Verratti, Leandro Paredes, Danilo Pereira, Ander Herrera, and Idrissa Gueye are just a few of PSG's midfield players.
There's also the matter of Pogba's drive to win trophies, which is severely constrained by his playing in a lower-tier French league.
In addition, FFP laws would force Parisians to sell before they could buy, which would be difficult.
Of course, the 28-year-old could just finish his contract with United and then join any team he wants next season – but as he approaches his 30th birthday, what kind of contract offers, if any, would he receive from Real Madrid or Juventus?
As a result, it's probable that Solskjaer's positive remarks are motivated by confidence rather than defiance. ‘Man United are still sure they can keep Paul Pogba this summer,' according to trade guru Fabrizio Romano.
No comments:
Post a Comment