UNITED FIGHT TO KEEP HOLD OF POGBA
OLE GUNNAR SOLSKJAER is convinced he can still get the best out of Paul Pogba if the Manchester United star stays at Old Trafford.
United will hold on to Pogba unless Real Madrid or Juventus make a massive bid of around £170million for the Frenchman.
Pogba and his agent Mino Raiola have made no secret of his desire to leave, but Solskjaer believes he can motivate United’s record signing to be a key player for the club next season.
‘I can give him a new challenge,’ said the United manager.
‘Paul is a top boy and a great player. He’s never, ever been a problem. If we get him playing again like he did when I came in, he will win you over.
‘I’ve not been upset by anything he’s said because we’ve had many conversations and I know exactly what Paul is thinking.
‘I can’t dive into hypothetical questions and all that. We’ve not had offers.’
Speaking on the club’s pre-season tour in Perth, Solskjaer indicated that he will sign a replacement striker if Romelu Lukaku is sold as Inter Milan prepare to make a revised offer this week.
However, United are struggling to offload £500,000-a-week top earner Alexis Sanchez and Solskjaer is planning for the Chilean to stay.
‘At the moment, yes I am,’ said the United boss, adding that he will ‘have to help’ Sanchez get back to his best.
‘They’ve got to come in and grab their chances. Alexis is quality and he showed it in the Copa America.’
Leicester’s determination to
demand in excess of £80m for Harry Maguire means United have only signed Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Dan James so far this summer, and Solskjaer admits it has been difficult buying the right players at the right price.
‘It’s not like we’re going to sign 10 players, it can’t be a quick fix,’ he said. ‘It took time with Aaron and it took time with Dan but they got it over the line.
‘I understand that the market has changed. Prices have soared. Sometimes, because of the wealth, maybe we have had to pay more, a bigger premium to get players in. That’s just the world we live in.’
Responding to questions about discipline and a childish video inadvertently posted on social media by Jesse Lingard while on holiday, Solskjaer admitted that he cannot ‘spoon feed’ his players on or off the pitch.
‘That has been dealt with internally,’ he said. ‘I am old school. I am quite big on self-discipline and I can’t spoon feed all these players, they have got to do it themselves.
‘You have got to be a strong character to play here. It is not like I can tell them to pass from A to B to C to D. They have to make their own decisions, and in life as well.’
The former United striker lamented the lack of leaders like Bryan Robson, Roy Keane or former Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany, adding: ‘From the talks I’ve had with many managers and coaches from my generation, I think it’s a general thing in society.
‘Life is so comfortable. It’s easy now when you’re an academy player, you make so much money (and think) “well I’ve made it”. And the parents live through their kids.
‘There are less Robbos and Keanos around. I played with Keano and I think any manager in the world would love to have that type of leader.
‘Look at City and Kompany. Who knows what will happen? Because he was a fantastic human being, player and leader so someone else has to step up. And someone else has to step up for us.’
Solskjaer refused to write off United’s title chances despite the daunting standards set by City and Liverpool last season.
The Red Devils finished sixth, a whopping 32 points behind their Manchester rivals.
‘I’m always an optimist and let’s see how we start off,’ he said. ‘I’m not going to say that we can’t, but it’s not what we expect straightaway.
‘We might be contenders, who knows?’