On what was meant to be a day to celebrate the announcement of Jadon Sancho joining Manchester United, joy has now been overshadowed by a report on the future of Paul Pogba at the club.
Dharmesh Sheth has just shared on Sky Sports News that superstar Pogba is now ‘increasingly unlikely’ to pen a new contract with the Red Devils.
That leaves Manchester United in a very trick spot as the 28-year-old is in the final year of his deal with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side, leaving this summer as the last realistic option to cash in on the ace.
It would be incredibly risky for United to plan on selling Pogba next January, when the central midfielder will be free to negotiate a pre-contract agreement with interested foreign clubs.
That is where the concrete interest appears to be coming from as well, despite long-standing links to Real Madrid that will undoubtedly by reignited after today’s news, Paris Saint-Germain are of course keen on their hometown hero.
Paul Pogba is “increasingly unlikely” to sign a new contract at Manchester United ? pic.twitter.com/rHbjYgdMS9
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) July 23, 2021
“It is my information that Paul Pogba is increasingly unlikely to sign a new contract at Manchester United.”
Manchester United supporters can take some hope from Sheth’s other findings, with the reporter contradicting claims from France that Pogba is close to agreeing terms on a switch to PSG.
Sheth instead stated that there has been no ‘official bid’ from the Parisians, with the two powerhouse clubs not having any contact as of yet either.
Sheth noted that a transfer to PSG doesn’t look to be as close as it’s being made out to be:
“Paris Saint-Germain we are told are interested in signing Paul Pogba, there are reports emerging from France that terms are close to being agreed with Pogba and his representatives.”
“It’s our information, as yet, that there’s been no official bid from PSG to Manchester United, nor has there been any club-to-club contact.”
Sheth noted the stance is shifting towards an exit again, despite some of Pogba’s interviews with the media over the last season or so:
“It seemed that there was a softening of that stance, because Paul Pogba in a few interviews declared how happy he was at Manchester United and playing at Manchester United.”
“But it just seems now that we are now leaning towards the other end of the scale again, whereby he, as it stands, is unlikely to sign a new contract at the club.”
It’s a real shame that this news has come on Sancho’s day, but it’s hardly surprising as there always seems to be a media frenzy surrounding Pogba and his future.
News from Sky Sports on the unlikelihood of Pogba penning new terms with United comes less than 24 hours after the Mirror reported that the ace rejected the offer of a £100,000-a-week raise.
The club can’t afford to let Pogba leave on a free again, so perhaps now it’s time for United to accept that the France international should be moved on whilst they can still command a considerable fee.