Manchester United want Paul Pogba to sign a new contract if they can get the midfielder to drop his interest in a move to Real Madrid, according to The Evening Standard.
The news comes off the back of a reported agreement with David De Gea, and the contract extension of striker Marcus Rashford.
The deal with De Gea is said to be in the last stages, with figures at Old Trafford confident a new contract will be signed.
Pogba joined the club in the summer of 2016 for a fee reported to be £89m. The Frenchman signed a five-year deal back then, meaning from next season, the France international will only have two years left on his contract. Manchester United may be looking to tie down Pogba on a new contract to protect the asking price the club are currently demanding for the midfielder.
It could actually be argued that getting Pogba to sign a new long-term contract is negative for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
Any new contract may see the 26-year-old stay at Old Trafford longer. Real Madrid are currently attempting to sell off stars (per the Sun) in order to afford Pogba, showing a real struggle in meeting Manchester United’s £150m valuation of the star.
A contract extension and replication of last season’s form, where the Frenchman finished top scorer and assister, could see Pogba’s value increase, making it even more difficult to sell him. And with his previous disruptive tendencies in the dressing room (reported on by The Sun), Solskjaer may decide to have a dressing room free of a potentially poisonous atmosphere.
Extending Pogba’s contract is a bad decision to make. The £150m the club are currently demanding is already proving too steep for Real Madrid. If Pogba signs a new contract, Manchester United’s value of the Frenchman will only rise if he continues to display form like we saw last season, possibly making it difficult to sell him.
Manchester United fans, should Pogba be handed a new contract? Join the discussion by commenting below…
