Thereโs a distinct sense of dรฉjร vu at Carrington. Thatโs because after leaving Manchester United on a free transfer, Paul Pogba is once again leaving the club on a free transfer.
The Frenchman cost Manchester United a then world record โฌ70 million to prise out of Turin in 2016, after he had left the club as a 19-year-old. And, after a statement from both player and club, he is walking out on the club yet again.
Pogba made a statement on Instagram to United fans confirming the worst-kept secret in football.
โI feel privileged to have played for this club. Many beautiful moments and memories but most importantly, an unconditional support from the fans. Thank youโ
A video package of some of his highlights at the club accompanied the statement.
FLATTERING TO DECEIVE
In my opinion, Pogba never really lived up to the hype in his second stint at the club. There was the occasional sublime performance, but nothing consistent of note. His medal haul as he leaves the club comprises a League Cup winnerโs medal and a Europa League winnerโs medal. Both medals were won under the tutelage of Jose Mourinho almost five years ago.
His best performance in a Red Devilโs shirt would come in the following season. With United staring down the barrel of a 2-0 deficit at halftime of a game that would crown bitter rivals Man City champions had they won, Pogba flicked the switch.
The Frenchman would score twice in just three minutes as part of an incredible comeback that prevented City from winning the title that day.
He had some terrific moments playing for France whilst he was at United. He picked up a World Cup in Russia in 2018 that catapulted him to his best season at the club. In the 2018/19 season, Pogba would play 47 times and record an impressive 27 score involvements from midfield.ย
Injuries, poor form, and a poor attitude would blight the rest of Paul Pogbaโs time at Manchester United. The talent is definitely still there, as evidenced by his amazing 4 assists against Leeds in the 2021/22 season opener. However, it just didnโt happen for Frenchman at United. His underwhelming farewell from the club highlights this.
โEveryone at the club would like to congratulate Paul on his successful career and thank him for his contributions to Manchester United. We wish him all the best for the next steps on a remarkable journey.โ
WHERE TO NEXT?
So where will the Frenchman land next on his remarkable journey? If you believe the transfer talk, there are a lot of suitors for the 29-year-old Frenchman. Paper talk has linked Pogba with PSG for quite some time, as well as Real Madrid. The strongest links are with his former club Juventus. His farewell post on Instagram has been bombarded by Juve fans begging for โPogback 2โ.ย
Wherever he lands, he will want to make a much more significant impact than he did at Old Trafford.
Stuart Kavanagh is a sports journalist from Melbourne, Australia. Along with being the owner of the sports and entertainment website thepyrrhic.com, he is the co-host of the โAfter Extra Timeโ podcast. Football mad, he is always down for debate and discussion at @stueyissickofit on Twitter.
