It looks like the curtain with come down on Paul Pogba’s Manchester United career soon. So what is his legacy at the Theatre of Dreams?
It appears we’re in the endgame of Paul Pogba’s second spell at Manchester United. According to the Frenchman’s infamous agent Mino Raiola, he is unhappy at the club and needs to change team. He has confidently said that his time at Old Trafford is over.
With everything seemingly about to end – maybe even as early as January – how do you evaluate Pogba’s United career on the pitch?
His time at the club can be broken down into four parts, each worthy of their own objective evaluation.
Part 1: Second Coming in 2016
Pogba returning to the Red Devils was the worst kept secret of the summer transfer window in 2016. In typical United fashion, it was a summer saga that was drawn out for as long as possible. But new manager Jose Mourinho finally got his man.
More from Manchester United News
- Aaron Wan Bissaka out for ‘several weeks’ with injury
- Sofyan Amrabat set to miss game against Brighton
- Preview: Manchester United vs Brighton – What you need to know
- Jadon Sancho set to train away from first team squad
- Mike Phelan blasts Manchester United teammates over Ronaldo exit
Pogba was back where it all started for him in the senior game, this time carrying a £89 million world record price tag – a stick with which he’d be beaten for his entire Old Trafford career.
United had signed a ready made superstar who could slot into their team and take them back to the heights they so desperately craved. With a serial winner in Mourinho guiding them, it seemed that success was almost inevitable.
For the first two seasons, Pogba was arguably United’s best player. He was a consistent supply line for the likes of Zlatan Ibrahimovic and then Romelu Lukaku, and his numbers in terms of chances created highlighted his importance to the team in the Mourinho era.
Successes came in the form of the League Cup and the Europa League in 2017, and the second place finish in 2018 appeared to be the springboard that was going to re-launch United back into the stratosphere. The firework had been lit, and everyone was sitting back in anticipation of a colourful explosion.