Man Utd stuck with Paul Pogba until next summer as Barcelona wait to make move

Posted Sunday, September 30, 2018 by Express.co.uk

Man Utd stuck with Paul Pogba until next summer as Barcelona wait to make move - EXCLUSIVE (Image: GETTY)

MANCHESTER UNITED could be stuck with Paul Pogba until the end of the season if he sets his heart on a move to Barcelona.

The Frenchman has an unhappy relationship with Jose Mourinho who last week said that he would never captain the side again.

Paul Pogba wants to leave Manchester United when the transfer window opens in January and would like to switch to the Catalan giants.

But Express Sport understands Barcelona would rather wait until next summer to make a proper attempt to sign him as they feel a deal would be do expensive this season in terms of a fee and wages.

Pogba’s former club Juventus are also keen on resigning him but don’t want to strain their good relationship with Old Trafford to do so.

And they may decide to only make a move if United openly put the World Cup winner on the transfer list which seems unlikely at this stage.

Pogba’s relationship with Jose Mourinho has deteriorated steadily since the duo clashed away at Tottenham earlier this year.

And the Frenchman was hauled off midway through the second half of Saturday’s defeat to West Ham having been restored to the starting XI.

Pogba’s inclusion against the Hammers came after Mourinho had revealed the midfielder had trained well during the week.

"Tomorrow he plays. He is a player like the others," said Mourinho on Friday. "No player is bigger than the club.

"If I am happy with his work he plays, if I am not he doesn't play. I am really happy with his work this week.

"He trained really well. The team needs good players. He is a good player."

However, Mourinho’s comments came after footage emerged of a clash between himself and Pogba at Manchester United’s training ground.

Mourinho is understood to have been irked by the timing of a post on Pogba’s Instagram account after the Carabao Cup defeat to Derby.

lthough it has since been cleared up that that was affected by problems with the WiFi at Old Trafford.

Pogba and Mourinho’s problems have been well publicised, with a host of former players offering their own verdicts.

Few have been more vocal than Paul Ince, who believes executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward should back Mourinho over the 25-year-old.

"I said weeks ago that someone needed to put this situation to bed," he told Paddy Power.

"No one is bigger than Manchester United, yet somehow Pogba thinks he is.

"There’s been an issue between them for a long time, and it’s been allowed to spiral out of control and get into the mess it’s in now.

"If this was happening under Sir Alex [Ferguson], he’d have said one thing: ‘He’s going. Get rid of him now.’

"Because there’s no chance he’d allow his team to become a joke because of Paul Pogba’s behaviour

"I think his fate is completely sealed and he’ll be gone in January.

"There’s talk of Mourinho going before him, but I’d be disgraced if Ed Woodward allowed that to happen.

"If you do that, you’re essentially allowing a player to become bigger than the manager and the rest of his team.

"It’s time for Woodward to step up and back Jose.

"If he tells him that he’s upsetting the dressing room and still not playing at the level he should be, then he needs to back the manager and let him go.

"Pogba has caused far more trouble than he has good since returning to Manchester United."

Barcelona target Pogba was spotted leaving the train United travelled back to Manchester on early on Saturday evening, alongside three team-mates.

It remains to be seen whether Mourinho will deploy him from the off during Tuesday night’s Champions League showdown with Valencia.