Krishnan Sreekumar
Manchester City snub chance to sign Manchester United star Paul Pogba after he was offered to them for free in the summer
According to the Daily Star, Manchester United star Paul Pogba has been snubbed by Manchester City after the midfielder was offered to them for free in the upcoming summer transfer window, just as they did four years ago.
The Frenchman returned to United from Juventus in 2016, having won four consecutive Scudetto titles in Italy and also reaching the final of the 2015 Champions League. He had initially left the Red Devils in 2012 to join the Italian club as a free agent.
However, the 29-year-old has not been as successful in Manchester as he was in Turin, only managing to pick up a League Cup and UEFA Europa League winners’ medal. His performances at Old Trafford have been erratic as well, with the player proving to be frustrating at times with his displays on the pitch.
With the World Cup winner’s contract at United running out at the end of the season, he looks set to depart the club as a free agent in the summer. Thus far, neither the club nor the player has provided any update on his contract situation.
City say no to Pogba
As Pogba’s agent Mino Raiola hunts for a new club for the former Juventus man, the player is said to have been offered to the Red Devils’ noisy neighbours. However, the Cityzens have snubbed an approach for the midfield star, preferring to look elsewhere for options despite getting the chance to sign him for free.
This is not the first time that the Etihad Stadium outfit has shot down a transfer approach for Pogba, as manager Pep Guardiola revealed in April 2018 that there was a chance for the club to sign their rival’s midfielder, but turned down the offer. The timing of his statement seems to have been pre-meditated as well, announcing the same on the eve of the Manchester derby.
This news will surely come as a shock to United fans, who would have been left disgusted if Pogba actually intended to join City in the summer after coming through the academy at Carrington and then spending six years in the first team after his return from Juventus.
The blue half of Manchester may offer him a better chance of winning silverware at the moment, but that would mean him burning bridges with everyone at Old Trafford if he moved to their city rivals. After already being booed by fans this season, a move to City would have been the last straw.
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Guardiola certainly tried to play a mind game on the eve of the Manchester derby in 2018, claiming that they snubbed a move for Pogba. It certainly backfired, as the Frenchman put two past his team in the game to hand United a 3-2 win at the Etihad Stadium.
At the moment, the academy graduate finds himself on the sidelines with a calf injury he picked up during the Liverpool game, and it is not known whether he will appear for United again this season. It remains to be seen if he stays at the club next term, but one thing is for sure – we do not have to see him turn up in a sky blue shirt in the upcoming campaign.
