According to ESPN, Paul Pogba insists that he is “happy” at Manchester United in the same week that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer admitted he is hopeful that the 27-year-old will sign a new deal at Old Trafford.
Pogba is out of contract next year, although Man United have the option to extend his contract until 2022. The Red Devils have reached out to Mino Raiola about renewing his deal and Pogba has indicated he wants to stay at the Theatre of Dreams, amid continued interest from Juventus and Real Madrid.
After recovering from an injury which required surgery, his return has given him the chance to team up with Bruno Fernandes, and the pair have formed a formidable partnership in the midfield ever since. Indeed, United have recently extended their unbeaten run to 16 games by thumping Bournemouth 5-2 at home last weekend.
While Fernandes seems to get a lot of the credit, the Frenchman’s impact should not be underestimated. In fact, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer should forget about signing Jadon Sancho for the time being, and try to convince Pogba to sign a new deal.
Anthony Martial, Marcus Rashford and Mason Greenwood have been in such prolific form lately that some may argue the quartet doesn’t changing. Although Sancho is Borussia Dortmund’s top scorer, Solskjaer’s side don’t seem to have any problems scoring goals, as they have bagged 14 goals in the past four fixtures.
Greenwood has shown in recent weeks he is more than capable of holding his own on the right wing, while the French World Cup winner seems to be the key to unlocking Fernandes’ full potential.
Pogba has only managed 782 minutes in the Premier League but has still taken 1.6 shots per game and averaged 2.3 key passes so far.
He and Fernandes combined almost immediately, as Pogba was fouled by Eric Dier to win the penalty that the Portuguese midfielder scored to earn the Red Devils a hard-fought draw with Spurs in United’s first match after the Premier League restart.
Pogba and Fernandes have started three games together so far, with United winning all of them by a combined score of 11-2. They have begun to build a platform for Solskjaer to build around.
Unlike Mourinho, the Norwegian has focused on letting the Frenchman loose in the midfield, and his attacking output is there for all to see. Pogba took 91 touches of the ball as the Red Devils took the Cherries apart, making three key passes and creating one big chance.
With Real Madrid and Juve still sniffing around, Solskjaer’s biggest task should be to persuade Pogba to commit his future to the club.
Goals are easy to find. A player of his pedigree is not.
United fans, should Paul Pogba sign a new deal? Let us know in the comments below!
About the Author
