Mauricio Pochettino of Paris Saint Germain and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer of Manchester United have extended their contracts with their clubs amid a struggle for the services of French midfielder Paul Pogba.
Mauricio Pochettino extended his contract with PSG until June 2023. While Ole Gunnar Solskjaer extended his contract with United until June 2024.
The Norwegian tactician extended his stay at the Premier League club a day after the unveiling of his long-time transfer target, Jadon Sancho. He also extended his contract a day after Paul Pogba reportedly rejected the opportunity of extending his contract with Manchester United.
The French midfielder has just a season left on his contract and Manchester United are very much interested in extending his stay at the club beyond the 2022 summer transfer window. But it seems Paul Pogba has other plans.
Initially, it was Juventus that reportedly showed interest in the player but now, the attention has turned to PSG that are reportedly doing all they could to bring the Frenchman back to France.
When Mauricio Pochettino extended his contract with PSG, he told the club’s official website that it was a dream come true that he was a former player of PSG and now the coach of the club.
He also noted that he and his staff who are very proud that they have been given a longer time to work for the club would ensure that they meet up with the club’s objective.
One of such objectives could be the club’s longtime desire of winning the UEFA Champions League. This same desire has pushed the club to sign some top players across Europe over the years. An addition of Paul Pogba to the team could make the French side fiercer when the coming season begins.
However, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer who is also trying to win titles with Manchester United would not allow Paul Pogba to leave without a fight. After he signed a contract extension with Manchester United earlier today, July 24, the coach said he and his crew have built a hungry team.
He stressed that the clubs intend to win the biggest titles in the game which is also one thing Paul Pogba is hungry for. Hence, since both Mauricio Pochettino and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer are hungry for titles which Pogba is also hungry for, what could tempt the Frenchman to leave United for PSG or stay could be who is ready to give him a better deal.
"It is an exciting time for Manchester United, we have built a squad with a good balance of youth and experienced players that are hungry for success.
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) July 24, 2021
"I can’t wait to get out in front of a packed Old Trafford and get this campaign started."
Ole ❤️ pic.twitter.com/sXCWmJkuAQ
If Paul Pogba fails to extend his contract with the Premier League club and the ongoing negotiations drag until next summer, Manchester United could be on the losing side. Recall that the club bought him for a whopping 105 million euros in 2016 from Juventus, less than four years after he left United to the Italian club for free.
With that at the back of the mind of Manchester United vice-chairman, Ed Woodward, it will be almost impossible for United to fold their hands and watch Pogba drag the ongoing contract extension negotiations until next summer. They might be tempted to sell him to PSG this summer if it gets too obvious that the Frenchman is not ready to stay at Old Trafford.
