Paul Pogba has had a troubled six-year stay at Manchester United, and his time at the club is likely to end this summer. The French World Cup winner injured his calf muscle during the 0-4 rout at the hands of Liverpool, following which manager Ralf Rangnick said that he is unlikely to return to action before the season ends.
This could mean that the game was Pogba's last match for United as his contract runs out on July 1, and Rangnick has already spoken of an overhaul of the squad on the arrival of the new coach Erik ten Hag.
Rangnick also added that he is not expecting Pogba to sign a new deal and that he is unlikely to be at the club next season.
According to popular Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano, the 29-year-old midfielder was offered a contract in July 2021 but is yet to sign it. Paris St Germain have held talks with the player's agent but there has not been any decision yet.
Pogba came through United's youth academy and made only a handful of appearances in his two years with the senior team (2009-11) before leaving on a free transfer to Juventus. In his four years in Italy, he flourished, becoming one of the most promising midfielders in the world and even winning the Best Young Player award at the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
He would return to Manchester in 2016 for a world record transfer fee of €105 million, winning the League Cup and the Europa League in his first season back in England under Jose Mourinho.
Since then, United have not won any major titles, and pundits and fans have frequently criticised him for not turning up for the club the way he did for France during the victorious 2018 World Cup campaign.
Though United were keen on keeping the player last year by offering him a contract extension, The Sun reports that the club no longer has the player in their future plans and has “no desire” to extend his contract.
New boss, new rules
One of the demands that Ten Hag had when accepting the United job is that he would have the final say in the club's transfers. Reports are now emerging that the current Ajax boss has already begun his research and has categorised the current players at the club into four groups for the purpose of the overhaul. One group includes “underperformers” whom he hopes to offload.
Striker Marcus Rashford, who has also endured a rough season, had earlier expressed his desire to move out of his boyhood club, but the England international is reportedly keen to compete for a place in the team under the new manager.
According to the Daily Express, United have earmarked Leeds midfielder Kalvin Phillips and Villareal centre back Pau Torres as two top targets for Erik ten Hag heading into the summer transfer window.
