Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba and manager Jose Mourinho are reportedly at loggerheads and Real Madrid are waiting in the wings to capitalize on the situation.
According to reports from the Sun, Manchester United star Paul Pogba could be subject of a transfer bid in the summer from reigning European champions Real Madrid.
The Frenchman is understood to be unhappy with the management of Jose Mourinho and it is being reported that the pair’s relationship has hit rock-bottom after the Manchester derby ten days ago.
Manchester United endured a woeful first half during which neighbours Manchester City went 2-0 ahead and while none of the players made an impact, Pogba was the main focus of the manager’s fury during the half-time break, as per the report. And Mourinho was incensed further when Pogba sat muttering under his breath while the manager was talking to him.
Following this incident at half-time, Pogba turned things around and kicked off a great comeback, scoring two goals, as Manchester United beat City 3-2. And this prompted a U-turn from Jose, who then reportedly went on to claim that the Frenchman would have been his choice for man of the match even if he hadn’t scored a goal.
The entire episode is understood to have confused Pogba and the player has grown discontented at the way he is being treated by the Portuguese manager, further straining their already fractious relationship.
Pogba and Mourinho haven’t been on the best of terms since Manchester United’s 2-0 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur earlier this year, when the former Juventus man had been hauled off after he did not follow the manager’s instructions. It is being claimed the pair have had more run-ins post that event, with Pogba even letting Jose know that his tactics aren’t being liked by the players.
All this has led to reports emerging that Pogba would be open to leaving his boyhood club at the end of the season, having returned just two seasons ago from Juventus in a then world-record deal worth £89 million. And this seems to have piqued Real Madrid’s interests.
The Galacticos were interested in signing Pogba back in the summer of 2016 as well, but were beaten to his signature by Manchester United. Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane continues to be a huge admirer of his fellow countryman’s qualities and sees him as a great addition to the squad, especially with Luka Modric not getting any younger.
Manchester United, however, have no intention of selling Pogba, having worked so hard to sign him from Juventus a couple of years ago, after the player had left the Red Devils on a free transfer in 2012.
The midfielder started the season very strongly, but has faded quite rapidly since the turn of the year. Pogba was disappointing once again this past weekend, as United were beaten 1-0 by bottom feeders West Bromwich Albion. So far, in the 2017/18 campaign, the 25-year old has scored 5 goals and assisted 10 more in 30 games across all competitions.
The situation between Mourinho and Pogba is far from ideal at the moment and Manchester United will be hoping that the two are able to resolve their problems at the earliest for the good of the club.
