Paul Pogba saw the last 16 months scoreless for Manchester United in open play and for many reasons. The Frenchman has a season plagued by injuries, and there were talks of his lack of focus and consistency. But Ole Gunnar Solskjaer remains a firm believer in what the troubled midfielder can do, convinced that Pogba can take the lead if he wanted to.
The stories on Pogba mostly touched on his desire to join a club that will win him trophies. And so the rumors persist a transfer to Juventus is still in the card, and it makes sense. The 27-year-old was once part of the Italian giants, and Cristiano Ronaldo is part of the roster, so the chance of winning a title is real.
Or he can go to Spain where Zinedine Zidane is said to be a big fan. Indeed the Real Madrid boss has been working to sign United's prized asset, but the circumstances appear not favorable so far, and the COVID-19 pandemic is a good example.
BBC said the transfer market this year is at best uncertain. High-profile players like Pogba are unlikely to win the deal they think they deserve, so the wise thing do is stay where there are, for now.
Whether he likes or not, Pogba, now in better shape, will be part of the United squad that will return to play against Tottenham this Friday. Solskjaer has indicated that he will deploy the man on the field and the expectation is Pogba has to shine and take the lead for the Red Devils.
"Paul is one of the best midfielders in the world. He is a World Cup winner and we want to have that leadership on the pitch," the manager told BBC.
The Norwegian though is realistic on how he expects things to unfold for Pogba as the player was inactive for a long. He conceded that the forward will be far from 100% and it will take months for his full potential to explode.
Nonetheless, Solskjaer said he sees no reason why Pogba will not deliver and make a bigger impact than before.
"I can see from his mentality and focus, that he is ready to play again," said the club boss.
The United coach is optimistic about the things to come for his side. The key players are back in top shape and the excitement is there on how it will work out once the dreamed pairing of Pogba with Bruno Fernandes will play out on the pitch.
Except that the club was forced into inactivity in the last three months, things are shaping up for Solskjaer's side, according to Manchester Evening News. Heading to the Friday match, the club is riding on the momentum of winning 11 straight games and the spirit is high to continue on that.
The realistic goal for United is to win one game at a time and get past Chelsea to qualify for the Champions League next season. That should give Pogba quite a reason to be happy where he is at right now.
