A former Old Trafford favourite thinks the Frenchman should move onto pastures new if he’s not completely happy in his current surroundings
Paul Pogba always talks about leaving Manchester United, so he might as well just go, according to Andrei Kanchelskis.
Pogba became the most expensive signing in United’s history when he returned to Old Trafford from Juventus for £89 million ($119m) in the summer of 2019.
The Frenchman has since scored 33 goals in 172 outings for the Red Devils, while also providing 35 assists, but niggling fitness issues have prevented him from fulfilling his full potential.
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He has also been continually linked with a move away from Manchester, and has done little to silence any speculation whenever quizzed on his future by the media.
Real Madrid have been mooted as the most likely next destination for Pogba, who admitted that a switch to Santiago Bernabeu would be a “dream” while away on international duty with France during the last international break.
Kanchelskis sees no reason for the 27-year-old to stick around if he’s unhappy at Old Trafford, and has also suggested that United would do well to distance themselves from the midfielder’s agent Mino Raiola.
“Pogba is always talking about leaving Manchester United, so for me, it would be better if you just left,” the former Red Devils midfielder told American Gambler.
“If you’re saying every time ‘I don’t like this, I don’t like, I want to leave’ then just leave. Go. Leave. No problem.
“Of course [Mino] Raiola is a huge problem, he’s always saying that Pogba is not happy at Manchester United.
“If you want to come and play for Manchester United, you need to open your heart, play 100 per cent. It’s a shame as Pogba is a great player.”
Kanchelskis also addressed Jesse Lingard’s recent fall from grace, with the England international no longer a first-choice starter under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer after falling behind the likes of Bruno Fernandes, Fred and Scott McTominay in the squad pecking order.
The former United star thinks his old club should retain the 27-year-old’s services for the time being, but has urged him to start proving he can deliver the goods on a consistent basis after two seasons of mediocrity.
“For me, he’s a great player, and I think the problem for him is that he is not playing every game at the same level, like a Dennis Irwin. He needs to maintain the same level,” Kanchelskis added.
“He plays excellent football one game and then has a terrible game the next.
“It’s a problem for the chairman because we need to keep hold of these players, and our players need to be comfortable and spend time playing with each other.
“We played four seasons from 1991 to 1994 together and we won two titles, because we played every game with the same team and played to a consistent level.”
