Paul Pogba’s agent says the star’s career at Man United is over
Solskjaer faces distraction ahead of crunch tie
MINO Raiola has sensationally claimed that Paul Pogba’s Manchester United career is “over” ahead of tonight’s crucial Champions League decider.
In an interview with Italian media, the super-agent has publicly announced that his client has no long-term future at Old Trafford.
“I can say that it’s over for Paul Pogba at Manchester United,” Raiola told Tuttosport.
His comments come with United in Germany for t his evening’s make or break clash with RB Leipzig.
Pogba’s current United contract is set to expire at the end of next season after the club triggered an automatic one-year extension in October.
Initial talks between the club and the Frenchman’s camp over a new deal made little progress and the midfielder recently lost his automatic starting spot amid injury and illness.
Raiola talked up the possibility of Pogba leaving United earlier this year — with Real Madrid and Juventus among his suitors — in comments which sparked a public war of words with manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
Pogba had previously admitted a desire to leave, claiming that he wanted to “have a new challenge somewhere else”.
United’s most expensive ever signing — who arrived from Juventus in 2016 in a then world-record £89m fee — ultimately stayed put during a summer transfer window which saw the number of mega-money severely deals limited by the financial impact of the coronavirus pandemic.
Pogba contracted the virus himself while away on international duty with France in August, which he has since blamed for his slow start to the season.
The 27-year-old’s first league goal of the campaign inspired United to a 3-1 comeback victory over West Ham on Saturday, after which he encouraged his teammates to rise to the challenge of a crucial week for the club.
Pogba was pictured training with the rest of the United squad at their Carrington training base yesterday morning before their flight to Leipzig.
It’s the latest major issue for boss Solskjaer, who will be without strike pair Edinson Cavani and Anthony Martial for tonight’s match.
After losing 3-1 at home to Paris St Germain last week, Solskjaer’s side head into their final Group H match level on nine points with the perennial French champions and this evening’s hosts, against whom they must avoid defeat in order to qualify.
“David (de Gea) is back in training, Luke (Shaw) is travelling,” said Solskjaer, who is without Fred through suspension.
“Edinson and Anthony, they’ve only minor niggles but they won’t be making the trip.
“You get to the last game of the group stage and you’re in the next round if you go and win that game or you get a draw, so it’s an important game. Of course it is.”
There is a lot of pressure on United, but Solskjaer is confident the players will rise to the occasion to prolong their stay in the competition.
“Knockout games or games like this that mean you can go through or not are big,” the United boss said.
“The players are here, they are Man United players, because they have qualities that we’ve looked for, and I’m sure that will prove that’s the reason why they’re here, they will show it.
“I think the character of the group is getting better and better and we’re looking forward to the game.
“It’s something that we want, games like this. It’s a tradition for Man United — we never make it easy for ourselves.
“Of course we look at the games, especially t he away game against Istanbul (Basaksehir) that we could have got three points, but that’s just the way we do things.
“We do make it hard for ourselves. That’s been ever since I played and that’s a long, long time ago.”