Why Pogba stands to make millions by running down Man Utd contract
Robin Bairner
- Updated: 5 May 2022 15:55 BST
- 3 min read
Paul Pogba is not exactly the most popular figure at Manchester United this season – which will surely be his last at Old Trafford.
The France international has cost the Red Devils millions in terms of his transfer fee and wages, and he even stands to receive a huge ‘loyalty’ bonus at the end of his deal with the club in June.
In return, he has offered Man Utd very little. His laidback on-field style has not been appreciated by supporters and has been mimicked by his visibility on social media, which has only amplified the belief that he is not concerned by what happens on the field.
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There have been brief flashes, of course, of what might have been. In the first four games of the Premier League season, he chalked up an astonishing seven assists, including four on the opening weekend of the season against Leeds. Subsequently, his most notable contribution was a red card 15 minutes after coming on in a 5-0 loss against Liverpool.
Injuries, too, have beset Pogba throughout his Manchester United spell. This season, for example, he has already missed three months because of a hamstring problem and may have seen his season already ended by a calf issue sustained, once more, against the Reds.
Pogba set for 'loyalty' windfall
After all this, The Athletic reports that Pogba is set to receive £4 million in bonuses simply for staying at the club.
It will be labelled a loyalty bonus, but it has come about, at least in part, because there is not another club willing to pick up the tab for his astronomical wages on top of a sizeable transfer fee.
For Man Utd, the payment may almost seem worth it to get a player who has been such an enigma off their books.
Pogba, of course, can look forward to a hefty signing bonus when he moves to his next club, whether that is PSG, Real Madrid or Juventus.
