Why do Man City want to sign Paul Pogba?

Robin Bairner

• 7 May 2022 12:05 BST
• 3 min read

Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba has rarely cut a popular figure at Old Trafford, and that could particularly be the case should he leave the club for Manchester City this summer.

The decision, of course, is out of the Old Trafford club’s hands. Pogba is out of contract at the end of June, at which point he will become a free agent and will be eligible to join a club of his choosing.

The World Cup winner previous left Man Utd in 2012 for Juventus on what was effectively a free transfer only to return four years later for a world record fee of €105 million. He has struggled to justify that expense, particularly as he has often been injured.

Why, then, would Manchester City be interested in such a player?

Man Utd never saw the best Pogba

Firstly, Pogba’s Manchester United performances do not equal the sum of what he is capable of – far from it.

There is a reason that he performed so well at Juventus and continues to be a starring figure with France in the best international side in the world. Quite simply, if he is used in the correct manner, world-class results are possible from him.

Man Utd have never built their midfield around Pogba and he has been unable to suitably adapt. It has been a failing of both the management and the player.

He is, no doubt, a luxury player as a consequence, but if he has the right figures around him, he can be a match winner.

Pogba’s range of passing is impressive and his capacity to influence games positive in the correct circumstances is undoubted.

A risk worth taking

Guardiola must feel that he is capable of unlocking this potential at City, where the ethic of the squad is such that they could cope with shouldering the additional defensive burden that he would doubtless put upon others.

Meanwhile, with City set to be squeezed by Financial Fair Play (FFP), picking up such a talent on a free transfer is a relatively low-risk move. Sure, his wages are huge, but they’re certainly nothing the Etihad side cannot cope with, particularly when it is considered that signing a player of lesser potential could cost around two years of Pogba’s wages.

There are plenty of Manchester United fans who would happily drive Pogba to City themselves, but this is a transfer deal that has plenty of upsides for the Premier League champions, too.