Paul Pogba is set to Depart from Manchester United
Paul Pogba, the World Cup-winning midfielder from France, will depart Manchester United at the end of June, the club said on Wednesday, bringing an end to a largely dismal second time with the club.
When the 29-year-old leaves at the conclusion of his contract, United will not recuperate any of the then-record £89 million ($112 million) they paid Juventus for him in 2016.
However, new United manager Erik ten Hag has made it obvious that Pogba’s time at the club is over.
Pogba’s return to Juventus, where he won four Serie A titles, could be on the cards, according to Italian media reports, who claim he has given a verbal promise to return and accepted a lower wage.
Paris Saint-Germain, the French champions, have also been mooted as a possible destination, given they are in need of a revamp and are based around his fellow World Cup winner Kylian Mbappe.
Ten Hag wants to reinvigorate a team that has witnessed city rival Manchester City transform into the powerhouse it once was under Alex Ferguson. Since his retirement in 2013, United has rarely threatened to repeat those days.
Pogba had a successful first season under Jose Mourinho, who also brought in Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Romelu Lukaku, and was a member of the teams that won the League Cup and the Europa League in 2017.
His subsequent efforts were rarely as good as those he put in for France during the 2018 World Cup.
In their march to the 2021 Europa League final, he showed flashes of his immense skill, scoring goals against AC Milan and Roma in the knockout stages.
In the final, though, he went virtually unnoticed as United lost on penalties to Villarreal.
Last season, fitness issues limited him to 27 appearances in an underwhelming year for both player and club, with United having to settle for a Europa League berth.
When he was substituted in a victory over Norwich in April, the supporters had had enough of his inconsistent performances and booed him off the pitch.
“The club can confirm that Paul Pogba will depart Manchester United at the end of June, when his contract expires,” read a statement from the club.
“The last of his 233 United games ended in the 10th minute of a defeat at Anfield in April 2022.
“It was a low-key end to a United career that brought so many individual high moments.
“So many beautiful goals, assists and pieces of skill.
“For a boy that joined the Academy at 16 to make over 200 United appearances and lift the Youth Cup, along with two major pieces of silverware, is something that should be applauded and celebrated.”
