Pogba makes massive United U-turn, but do fans want him at Old Trafford?
Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba is reportedly ready to commit his future to the Premier League club as he looks to sign a new deal to stay at Old Trafford, but it's unclear whether fans want him at Old Trafford.
The World Cup-winner has failed to make his mark since returning to the ‘Theatre of Dreams’ for a then world-record fee of £89.3million, but the exuberant Frenchman is determined to turn doubters into believers.
The emergence of January signing Bruno Fernandes has not only put United supporters on the edge of their seats, but his team-mate Pogba too, and he is keen to form a fruitful midfield partnership with the exciting Portuguese.
The 26-year-old reportedly earns £300,000 a week at United, and has so far failed to adequately justify such a huge investment.
Question is: can United trust him? The maverick midfielder was spectacular during the 2018 World Cup in Russia but has failed to replicate that form in the red of United.
Pogba has had a few controversial moments during his time in Manchester, alongside his agent Mino Raiola - who is currently set for a bitter battle with FIFA. Here are just a few of them.
Emoji energy
After teasing his Twitter followers with a “big announcement”, Pogba released a special emoji ahead of United’s huge clash against rivals Liverpool.
To make matters worse, the emoji would be displayed on electronic advertising boards throughout the contest. Oh, and to put the cherry on top of the cake, Pogba had a shocker in that particular match.
The reaction on social media was to suggest another special emoji for Pogba.
@twitter you already had an emoji for #pogba 💩
— Ben Callon (@callon7) January 15, 2017
Maradona, Pele, Maldini and...Pogba?
That’s right, the larger-than-life super-agent Raiola uttered Pogba’s name in the same breath as some of the greatest players to grace a football pitch.
The Italian-born Dutchman said that he would stop sending his players to United, stating they ruin even the best of players. Obviously he's forgetting about a certain Cristiano Ronaldo.
There was no surprise when former United player and Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville then labelled Raiola a “leech”, to which he hit back with “Neville can screw himself”.
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It never looks great when one completes a season and states: “I’m looking for a new challenge elsewhere”, but that is exactly what Pogba uttered in summer 2019.
The egotistic footballer then decided not to turn up to pre-season training, or fly out for the summer tour.
Pogba has only featured eight times for United this season as he continues to struggle with an ankle issue. Maybe some pre-season training could have helped?
On his day, he is fantastic. But when his days are so few and far between, a £300,000-a-week payment begins to make a mockery of the situation especially when he rarely turns out at Old Trafford.
Decision time
Whatever Pogba decides to do, commitment to the program will be integral to any success he has at United. With Ole Gunnar Solskjær finally looking at home in the dug-out, can the gaffer really afford to have a character as large as Pogba in the dressing room?
We all know the tales from Sir Alex Ferguson’s tenure; no player is bigger than the club. And many left on the basis of that mantra. David Beckham, Roy Keane and even Pogba himself.
Will history repeat itself? It won’t take long to find out.
