Published 12:23 IST, October 24th 2020
Man United not willing to offer "Sanchez-style" contract to French midfielder Paul Pogba?
Man United are hesitant in breaking their wage structure to offer a hefty contract renewal to Paul Pogba, fearing a repeat of Alexis Sanchez's situation.
- SportFit
- 3 min read
Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba endured a rough patch the previous season, courtesy of injury woes as well as his conflict with manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. The French superstar has time and again stalled contract extension talks amid links with Spanish giants Real Madrid. Man United are still wary of offering him an 'Alexis Sanchez-style' contract to avoid losing him out soon.
Club unwilling to match Sanchez's wages while negotiating with Pogba
Man United broke their wage structure to offer a hefty pay to striker Alexis Sanchez, estimated at £400,000 a week. But they had to sell off the Chile international to Inter Milan on a free transfer after he spent the previous season on loan. The Red Devils do not want to end up being in a similar situation.
According to a report by ESPN, Man United are keen on extending Pogba's contract. But the club will not go out of their way as they did during the Sanchez Man United wages' negotiation. Pogba's contract was to end in June 2021, but some reports claim that the Old Trafford outfit have triggered a one-year extension, which suggests he is tied with the club until 2022. Interestingly, the Pogba wages are estimated at £290,000 per week.
Pogba free agent debacle avoided by Man United
The Pogba contract extension talks come as a major sigh of relief for the Red Devils. There were talks of the midfielder not willing to extend his stay beyond 2021, which would subsequently mean that he could leave the club as a free agent. But the club hierarchy are now relaxed about the entire Pogba contract saga.
Earlier this month, Pogba had admitted that he dreams of playing at Real Madrid. As quoted by Guardian, the 2018 World Cup winner insisted that he would like to ply his trade at the Santiago Bernabeu one day, but he was focused on succeeding with Man United at the moment.
Also Read | Barcelona transfer news: Club could sign up Paul Pogba for free as United future uncertain
Real Madrid's interest in Pogba cools down
Los Blancos manager Zinedine Zidane, after returning to the club within a season of his departure in 2019, was keen on landing his French compatriot. A deal was all but done, with reports insisting that president Florentino Perez vetoed the move, citing the hefty transfer fee. Meanwhile, Zidane's interest has cooled down with the emergence of Federico Valverde, besides the return of Martin Odegaard from his loan spell.
Image courtesy: Man United Instagram
Updated 12:23 IST, October 24th 2020