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Paul Pogba is undoubtedly one of the best players at Manchester United. Functioning of their team as a unit owes a lot to the brilliance of the Frenchman. However, in recent months there have been a lot of reports claiming that he is unhappy at Old Trafford and wants to leave. Most recently, Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu refused to rule out the possibility of him coming to Catalonia this transfer window. These rumors are not totally baseless as they have a lot of logical reasons behind them.
The Heart of the Matter
Paul Pogba returned back to Manchester United amid much fanfare in 2016 for a then world record fee. He had been a successive winner with Juventus in Serie A and switching from playing in Champions League regularly to playing in Europa League with Manchester United was a big ask for any player, but he came back determined to bring the glory days back to United. Even though he was intensively scrutinized during his first season back owing to his world record fee, he still performed well enough and won two trophies. However, reports of a breakdown with manager Jose Mourinho started making rounds the next season and the manager even started asking questions of him publicly, claiming that he couldn't produce his best on a consistent basis. He was even dropped to the bench for many important matches like the ill-fated first leg Champions League last-16 tie with Sevilla. Just a day before the second Manchester derby of the season, City manager Pep Guardiola went on claim that Paul was offered to him in the winter transfer window by his agent. However, Pogba went on to silence his critics in the derby as it was his quick-fire double that kick-started United's unbelievable comeback at the Etihad. After an inconsistent end to the season, Pogba showed his true class in the World Cup as he was instrumental to France's success, and his leadership skills were also visible in the videos circulated afterward. His phenomenal performances once again gave rise to the debate that maybe it was Mourinho's tactics which were stifling his true game and maybe he could perform better when provided a bit more freedom. Ever since then, rumor mills have consistently been churning out reports linking him to various other top clubs.
Recent Developments
Pogba was handed a start in United's Premier League opener, even though he returned back from an extended vacation after the World cup just three days ago. He was even handed the captain's armband in the absence of Antonio Valencia and he was at the heart of United's midfield as he even scored a penalty to give United the lead. However, his post-match comments created even more ripples than his performance. His comment that "If you’re not happy, you cannot give your best. There are things that I cannot say otherwise I will get fined" suggested that things were not all well between the manager and the player. And the next day it was Bartomeu's comments that there were still 20 days left in the end of the current transfer window when asked about Pogba that added to the confusion surrounding the situation.
What's Likely to Happen
English transfer window has closed but players can still leave for clubs outside England. However, Pogba's transfer this window seems unlikely as United cannot bring a replacement to the club even if he were to leave. Besides, he loves United too much and his relationship with the fans has been brilliant who have always supported him, and he has time and again reiterated his desire to win trophies with the club. However, the solution to this problem lies with Mourinho who needs to sit down with his midfielder to clear the air and devise a system which can complement Pogba's style of play. The signing of Fred was vital to this, but now he needs to be more flexible in his tactics to bring the best out of Pogba as well as United. However, Pogba has always been a serial winner and the lack of trophies may force him someday to pursue challenges somewhere else and that is why Mourinho now needs to find a solution quickly more than ever.
