Pogba is going nowhere in this transfer window, insists Solskjaer
PAUL Pogba will not leave Manchester United in the January transfer window, according to his manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
Pogba has made only six appearances for United this season and has not played since the draw with Arsenal at Old Trafford in late September.
The 26-year-old sustained an ankle injury a month earlier against Southampton, aggravated the problem on his return and has spent the last three months sidelined.
Solskjaer initially said Pogba would return in early December, then that he would play before the end of 2019, then that an illness had delayed his recovery.
Pogba admitted during the summer that he was looking for a challenge away from United, with Real Madrid interested, but failed to engineer a move.
Speculation continues to link Pogba with an exit from Old Trafford, but Solskjaer insisted yesterday: “He’s not getting sold in January.
“He’s training, but he’s not been training with us for long. He’s training and that’s a step forward for us.
“[The ankle injury] was something that really needed sorting but I don’t think I should give you all the medical information.
“He’s now feeling good and getting better, it’s worked.
“We’ve got one of the best players in the world when he plays. Let’s see how he feels, I’m not going to push him. We need him to be 100% fit.”
Meanwhile, Solskjaer was forced to deny claims that United target Erling Haaland had flown into Manchester for talks yesterday.
Reports in Haaland’s native Norway suggested the Red Bull Salzburg striker had been spotted boarding a plane in Stavenger set for the north west.
It later transpired that Haaland was travelling to Copenhagen, rather than Manchester, and the 19-year-old poked fun at the speculation by having his photograph taken next to a departures board.
“I know the boy and I know his friends and he’s on a Christmas holiday. You can’t fly anywhere (direct) from Stavanger
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Arteta added: “Anybody that doesn’t buy into this is not good enough for this environment or culture.”
The new Arsenal head coach maintains Mesut Ozil is still “a massive player for this football club”.
And he said of his squad: “I want to understand how they are feeling and what they need. Then I can take the excuses out of them and focus on the things which are relevant on and off the pitch. It is my job to get the best out of them.”
This will be Arteta’s first role as head coach and the 37-yearold accepted his inexperience