Solskjaer’s comments on Pogba hint on his Manchester United future!

Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer hinted that Paul Pogba will be staying with the club this summer after claiming a team without him would not be his first XI.

One transfer saga that has rolled on throughout the summer is that involving Paul Pogba. Will he leave Manchester United? If yes, then where will he go? Will the Frenchman meet up with compatriot Zinedine Zidane at Real Madrid or return to the club where Jose Mourinho signed him from in 2016, Juventus?

With only five days to go until the Premier League transfer window shuts, it looks less likely that Pogba will leave Old Trafford this summer, purely down to the fact the club would not be able to sign a replacement if he were to leave.

The German, Spanish and French leagues all close on the 31st of August whereas Italy’s transfer window will shut on the 18th of August.

I’m not ruling it out though as usually when Real Madrid come calling, players follow. It would be a bitter way for Pogba to leave if he did do so. United not having the opportunity to bring anyone else in to replace him would deal Solskjaer’s top four chances a real blow.

However, that early window hype about a possible move away from the Red Devils seems to have quietened slightly.

Ole squashed any chance of that hype resurfacing at the fixture against Kristiansund in his post-match press conference. He was asked whether his starting XI against the Norwegian outfit was “close” to the one he will field in their opening Premier League match against Chelsea next Sunday.

Solskjaer scanned the room with a cheeky smile and replied: “I think when Paul Pogba doesn’t start you know it’s not the first XI.”

This statement from Solskjaer confirms a number of things. Firstly, he doesn’t want Paul Pogba to leave. Secondly, Pogba is almost undroppable when fit – it will be interesting to see how quickly Solskjaer stands by that if the Frenchman’s season gets off to a poor start.

But thirdly, and potentially most importantly, surely this suggests Pogba isn’t leaving. There is no way Solskjaer would have the confidence to make such a comment without knowing that Pogba wants to stay at the club and be a part of his plans this season.

It’s a bit of a dangerous one for Solskjaer as well. Money talks in football and don’t be surprised if Pogba’s head (or anyone’s for that matter!) is turned by the attractions and money of the Spanish supergiants. That would leave Solskjaer with a B-grade team all season constantly trying to make up for what he said in July.

The Norwegian was asked before about the general look of his team heading into that opening day clash against Frank Lampard’s Blues:

"“It’s not about ‘one team for the first game and that’s the team for the rest of the season’, we got a strong squad and I feel that there’s not too big a difference when we make the subs so of course, we’ve got to find the right balance. We’ve not really picked a first XI yet but most of the relations we have tried.” [Eurosport]"

Antonio Valencia and Ander Herrera remain the only two regular first-team members who have been let go this summer so far. A couple more may be waiting around nervously. But, one thing now seems certain, eventually, is that Paul Pogba will be a Manchester United player next season. In the A-side!