The Paul Pogba situation at Manchester United is an interesting one. He has been linked with a move away from his current club Manchester United for quite some time. Since his Premier League record transfer to United, some of the biggest clubs in Europe such as Real Madrid and Juventus have shown interest in him. With that interest ongoing, and United’s current form looking rather woeful, is it time for Pogba to leave United?
Is it Time to Move On for Paul Pogba?
Injury
Pogba has suffered from injury for the majority of the season. He has just three appearances in United’s last 17 Premier League games and is expected to be out for another month. He returned to the team in late September after an ankle injury forced him out of three games. Playing in the EFL Cup against Rochdale and then in the Premier League against Arsenal, however, aggravated his injury and forced him out for another three months. This is why manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has been cautious with Pogba’s recuperation.
Recovery
Pogba’s most recent return from injury started in United’s embarrassing 2-0 loss at Vicarage Road. He played for 26 minutes at the end of that game. Although he may not have created a goal, his involvement gave United a much better look about them. He then came on in the Reds Devils’ next game, a 4-1 thumping of Newcastle United, for the injured Scott McTominay. The Frenchman was equally creative in this match, giving United fans more hope in what had been a relatively successful festive period for them. He did not travel to Burnley or Arsenal for United’s most recent two games, however, and Solskjaer recently stated that he would be out for another month.
Is Pogba Leaving in January?
Pogba’s agent, Mino Raiola, made a statement recently regarding whether Pogba would leave the club in January. He said that Pogba wanted to see out the season with United. Raiola also said that ”[Pogba is] struggling with injury that we tried to resolve and I think that’s our main interest now”. Raiola is always trying to spark conversation over Pogba’s future, so if he says that Pogba won’t leave in January, then that is probably the case, with the most likely explanation being a focus on injury recovery.
Will Pogba Leave United in Another Upcoming Transfer Window?
In another recent interview, Raiola made a comment regarding the way Manchester United works. He said that they would ruin players like Diego Maradona and Pele. He also said that they are “a club out of touch with reality and without a sporting project,” and that the Manchester side are Pogba’s problem. While Pogba is unlikely to be leaving Manchester in January, this shows that he could be looking for a way out of Manchester. A summer move to one of Europe’s top clubs is certainly not off the table.
Why Would He Want to Leave?
The world’s third-biggest club in Manchester United is offering him first-team football -what’s not to love? Quite a lot, actually. United’s form of late has not been in keeping with what we expect from them even post Sir Alex Ferguson. Currently sitting in fifth, five points behind fourth, they will need to improve in order to reach a Champions League position. Their midfield is not helping them with that. Pogba is United’s only playmaking midfielder. Without him, the midfield looks dead, unable to pick out killer passes. Although McTominay provides a good midfield partner for Pogba, he is being offered a position alongside far more prominent players like Casemiro or Miralem Pjanic.
Is it Time for Pogba to Leave United?
It remains to be seen whether Pogba will move elsewhere. He has been linked with moves away from Old Trafford so frequently, yet nothing has transpired. If nothing has happened before, then it is possible for nothing to happen again. Although Manchester United are in a worse state than they have recently been, Pogba doesn’t seem particularly unhappy in the North of England. Overall, he may go, but only time will tell us whether Paul Pogba will leave Manchester United.
