Ole Gunnar Solskjaer refused to be drawn into Paul Pogba’s long-term future after the midfielder fired Manchester United in the Europa League’s final eight.
Paul Pogba is a key-player
Pogba returned from injury 1-0 away to beat Milan on Thursday night and scored the only goal of the game three minutes after his induction. In his current form, he is key for the Solskjaer’s, but big questions remain about his future and the club and player have a big decision to make this summer.
After praising Pogba’s kick from the San Siro bench, Solskjaer was asked if the club would do everything in their power to keep him from ending his current deal. Solskjaer said: “I think everyone on the team, including Paul, is just focused on doing as well as we can this season. I don’t think any energy will be used to speculate. Of course , we have discussions and negotiations. “When you see Paul playing like today (against Milan), when you see him return to practice, it shows how much he cares about us and how much he enjoys playing and how much we can benefit from the fact that He’s here”.
When the contract expires
The midfielder’s current deal expires in the summer of 2022 and no new terms are being negotiated yet, which would mean that if United doesn’t sell him this summer and can’t tie him to a new contract next season, he could leave on a free transfer. He is one of the biggest assets at the club, so they will be keen to prevent this, but Mino Raiola, Pogba’s agent, has been open about how his client will leave this summer and does not want a new deal at United.The only other common ground is that the pandemic has limited all spending options, and there are not many clubs that can afford international France and his wages.