The agent of Paul Pogba, Mino Raiola, has stated that Juventus and Italy is like a “second home” for his client and he “can’t escape Man United now” but will reassess the situation after EURO 2020 this summer.
Pogba, 26, has been out injured for most of this season after he picked up an initial foot injury in September and has aggravated it on several occasions.
The World Cup winner has been missed in United’s midfield and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer remains a big fan but after Pogba’s push to leave last summer there are still plenty of question marks about his future.
“Pogba feels at home in Italy. Italy is like his second home or family, same for [Zlatan] Ibrahimovic. That’s why Paul would like to come back to Juventus. But we’ll go to speak about that just after Euro 2020,” Raiola told reports after Juventus v. AC Milan in the Coppa Italia on Thursday. “Pogba wants to play at the best levels always ... but he can’t escape Manchester United now, in this moment where the club is not having a good period.”
The so-called ‘super agent’ then moved to clarify his comments on Friday as he pretty much said that Pogba’s time at Old Trafford with Man United is over.
“Italy is like a second home for him, " Raiola has then told our partners in the UK Sky Sports News. “The question was is he happy. You cannot be happy if you are not competing for the title or for the Champions League. The aim is for every top player to do that. For now he is concentrated on his recovery the next period is important for him and Man Utd to try to get into the Champions League then the European Championship and then we will see.”
Pogba is almost back to full fitness and it will be intriguing to see how he slots into this United team with Bruno Fernandes arriving in the central attacking midfield role for $88 million in January.
With Pogba and Scott McTominay ready to return for the crucial final few months of the season, plus Marcus Rashford pushing to be fit for March, United just have to hang in there in their battle to reach the Champions League.
Their trip to Chelsea on Monday (Watch live, 3 p.m. ET on NBCSN and online via NBCSports.com) is pivotal both for this season and planning for next season as the likes of Pogba will push harder for a move away without Champions League action.
Win and United will be just three points behind fourth-place Chelsea but a defeat means they would be nine points off the top four with 12 games to go.