Fresh reports suggest Paul Pogba has changed his mind and is now open to staying at Manchester United, but only if Ralf Rangnick remains manager next season.
That is according to Neil Custis of The Sun, who claims the Frenchman has been so impressed with his new manager during a number of talks with him that he is ready to make a U-turn rather than leave the club when his contract expires in the summer.
It feels like we’ve had years of speculation linking Pogba to Real Madrid and back to Juventus, so this would be an unexpected end to the story… for now at least.
However, there’s part of me questioning whether this could be another tactic by his agent, Mino Raiola, to spike interest from other clubs?
Only yesterday we were talking about how Pogba is Paris Saint-Germain’s prime target this summer.
Although the World Cup winner has yet to play under Rangnick, the article suggests the player has a high opinion of him already. Pogba has been out of action since early November but should be ready to return to action soon.
All it seemingly took to persuade Pogba that Rangnick is the right man was some convincing that he could build a midfield and team around him. Previous managers have been unable to do that, and some fans have completely run out of patience with the former Juventus ace – partly because they know he can do much better.
It is also believed that Pogba would be inspired by a new leadership role within the squad since Rangnick believes the player could be a force behind the scenes, with his popularity among other team-mates in a dressing room that has been rumoured to drift at times this season.
SN’s verdict…
I don’t think Pogba should be calling the shots.
The plan was for Rangnick to come in for six months, do a job until the end of the season and then move upstairs into a consultancy role. United simply cannot afford to lose out on either Mauricio Pochettino or Erik ten Hag this time around.
However, it’s great to hear that Rangnick is getting players on side, but Pogba should be willing to stay regardless of who is the manager. This is Manchester United. Is he going to snub a move to Real Madrid because of Carlo Ancelotti or Juventus because of Massimiliano Allegri? I don’t think so.
While I don’t think Rangnick is the man to manage United beyond this season, I feel strongly about the influence he can have at the club at different levels. There have not been enough football people making big decisions at Old Trafford and that must change.