Former Arsenal player Paul Merson has blamed Real Madrid and Barcelona for Paul Pogba’s woes.
Merson believes with the player linked with the two Spanish giants, he has had his head turned to the clubs. The French international has a season of mixed fortunes under Jose Mourinho last year as reports of several clashes with the Portuguese boss emerged.
Pogba put those concerns behind him at the World Cup though as he inspired his country to victory. His impressive displays have seen him linked with a move to Real Madrid and Barcelona with both clubs thought to have shown interest. Barca remains the frontrunners for his signature despite United’s reluctance to sell before the Spanish transfer window shuts on August 31.
“I’d rather Jose be happy than Pogba. But as we saw last season, Pogba didn’t pull up too many trees, He had a great World Cup, don’t get me wrong. But it’s always the same with players. Real Madrid and Barcelona come in for you and it turns people’s heads” he said.
“Everyone wants to play for those two teams, that’s the way it is around the world. We see it with [Philippe] Coutinho and other players. It’s turned his head and you’re going to have the agent [Mino Raiola] joining in with his little quotes to the newspapers, things like that. He’s a World Cup winner now,” he added.
There were reports that Mourinho had rifts with Pogba but the Special One dismissed the rumours.
Born in Lagny-sur-Marne, Pogba showed much promise as a youngster, flourishing as a member of local youth teams. He eventually joined the youth team of Ligue 1 side Le Havre, before a protracted transfer brought him to Manchester United in 2009. After beginning his senior career with Manchester United two years later, limited appearances persuaded him to depart to join Italian side Juventus on a free transfer in 2012, where he helped the club to four consecutive Serie A titles, as well as two Coppa Italia and two Supercoppa Italiana titles. During his time in Italy, Pogba further established himself as one of the most promising young players in the world, and received the Golden Boy award in 2013, followed by the Bravo Award in 2014. In 2016, Pogba was named to the 2015 UEFA Team of the Year, as well as the 2015 FIFA FIFPro World XI, after helping Juventus to the 2015 UEFA Champions League Final, their first in 12 years.
Pogba’s performances at Juventus allowed him to return to Manchester United in 2016 for a then-world record transfer fee of €105 million (£89.3 million). The fee paid for him remains the highest paid by an English club. In his first season back, he won the League Cup and the Europa League.
Internationally, he captained France to victory at the 2013 FIFA U-20 World Cup and took home the award for the Best Player for his performances during the tournament. He made his debut for the senior team a year later, and featured prominently at the 2014 FIFA World Cup, where he was awarded the Best Young Player Award for his performances. He later represented his nation at UEFA Euro 2016 on home soil, where he finished as a runner-up, before winning the 2018 FIFA World Cup after scoring in the final.