Late last week rumours were flying around that Sir Alex Ferguson was set to elevate 18-year-old French talent Paul Pogba to a role in United’s Premier League squad against QPR on the weekend. This seemed all the more likely given Ferguson’s kind words regarding Pogba before the game:
“Pogba is progressing very well. He is a possibility because he is a big strong lad, he’s a good athlete and is improving and developing well. Since he came to the club, we have seen the progress he has made.”
Yet he didn’t feature at all and given that many of Europe’s top clubs have been keeping tabs on the young Frenchman, there are whispers that this be the end of his short-lived United career.
United have been attempting to negotiate a new contract with Pogba, but the talks have stalled in recent times and this latest set-back will likely only further the stagnation. According to Ferguson, it’s Pogba’s agent who is to blame for the lack of progress:
“He [Pogba] has got an agent who’s obviously become a bit difficult, but we’re negotiating with this agent and we want the boy to stay, If he doesn’t want to stay, then there’s not a lot you can do about it.”
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It’s possible that Pogba’s agent is using the interest in his client from the likes of AC Milan, Arsenal and Manchester City to hold United to ransom, but you can bet that Sir Alex won’t let that happen.
Why Pogba would want out of a club like United is beyond me. He’s getting an excellent footballing education and has some of the best team mates in world football. What’s more he only has to look at the way other academy prospects have worked their way into the first team to see that he does have a future with this club if he works hard.
Both Welbeck and Cleverley got exposure at a young age, before going out on loan and then being ingratiated into the first team. The likes of Pogba and Morrison are currently at the stage where they’re gradually being introduced into first team proceedings. It’s likely that they’ll soon be sent off on loan in search of regular football.
Sir Alex knows what he’s doing and if Pogba is patient and doesn’t let greed cloud his judgement then he could really make something of himself at United. I for one hope he stays. I’ll leave the last word for Sir Alex Ferguson:
“If he doesn’t want to stay, then there’s not a lot you can do about it. We have an option on his contract that takes us into a year-and-a-half away, so in that respect there’s not a great emergency about it. But we’d like the boy to sign a contract and, if he’d like to be a Manchester United player, then he knows what to do.”
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