It’s an open secret that Paul Pogba is considering leaving Manchester United. The question is, when. Some voices have called on the Red Devils to offload the 27-year-old Frenchman – most notably, Sky Sports pundit revealed that he doesn’t consider him a ‘great player’ and that if it was up to him, he would offload him as soon as possible.
In certain situations, the performance of a footballer is like a slot machine at an online casino. The majority of the spins on a slot machine won’t turn players into big winners, just as many footballers will only have average performances in the playfield on a normal day. But just as slot machines have the ability to turn their players into instant millionaires, footballers can also display moments of utter brilliance while doing their thing, becoming heroes for their teams – and idols for their fans. This is the case of Pogba, who is considered a world-class footballer and the most expensive one in English football to this day.
The player’s performances with Solskjaer’s team were fluctuating, with moments of brilliance alternating with games where he makes hardly any impact.
Rise to fame
Born in Lagny-Sur-Marne to Guinean parents, he started playing football at the age of six with the local team US Roissy-en-Brie. Later, he transferred to Torcy for a season and played two with Le Havre before joining the Manchester United youth academy in 2009.
Upon graduating the Red Devils’ academy, he was promoted to the first team in 2011 but his appearances were limited, even though Sir Alex Ferguson knew that, if not given enough opportunities, he would leave. He did indeed leave Old Trafford a year later, signing with Italian team Juventus.
During his time with Juve, he established himself as one of the most promising young players. After helping the team reach the 2015 Champions League title, he made it to the 2015 UEFA Team of the Year. In the meantime, he was featured prominently in the French national team’s matches, winning the Best Young Player Award at the 2014 FIFA World Cup. And in 2018, he scored France’s winning goal at the World Cup final.
Back to Old Trafford
Pogba returned to Manchester United in 2016, signing a five-year contract with the team that broke the world record for the highest fee ever paid for a football transfer – a record that was since broken several times. Since then, the performance of the player has been on a decline – while he was given more than enough chances, aside from his moments of brilliance, he seems to have never taken them.
Leaving again
In an interview with Italian sports publication Tuttosport.com, Pogba’s agent Mino Raiola revealed that the player is ready to leave. The reason he cites is that he was never able to “express himself in the way that he would’ve liked or was expected to”. While his contract will only expire in 2022, Manchester United is expected to be flooded with offers early next year.
Several clubs are reportedly interested in signing the 27-year-old Frenchman in deals involving cash plus players, including his former club Juve, Real Madrid, and PSG. But they won’t accept just any offer – they will only settle for players on their recruitment list.
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