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#3 It’d be a chance to change United’s image
Part of United’s problem since the Alex Ferguson era ended in 2013 has been their apparent belief that because they’re one of the biggest dogs in the Premier League yard, they need to behave that way in terms of their transfer activity.
It never used to be like that in their glory years though. Despite clearly being the largest club in England during the 1990s and 2000s, it was rare to see them throw their weight around in the transfer market.
While Ferguson did sign the odd superstar – Wayne Rooney and Robin Van Persie come to mind - for the most part, he focused on signing players who would fit into his system and would be committed to the club ethos. The likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Nemanja Vidic and Ruud Van Nistelrooy weren’t the huge superstars they would eventually become when they first joined United – they had to work for that status at Old Trafford.
That’s not been the case since Ferguson left. United have almost become an English version of Real Madrid circa 2003, signing big-name players like Alexis Sanchez, Angel Di Maria, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and yes, Paul Pogba, purely because of their superstar value and their ability to sell replica shirts, rather than how they might fit into the team.
Selling Pogba would send a message that this era of excess without success is changing. It’s already been reported that United want to change their transfer strategy by focusing on signing young prospects again. And getting rid of Pogba would not only free up space in the squad, but it’d also mean that under Solskjaer, name value no longer matters – especially when it isn’t performing consistently.
That’d send the right message to any new signings – and to United’s younger talent too – that it’s no longer about shirt sales, but about success on the pitch. And that might be the key to bringing back the philosophy that got United to where they are today.
