There was much gnashing of collective Tweets on social media channels Tuesday night as news filtered through that vaunted teenage midfielder Paul Pogba has agreed to join Juventus next season. Pogba will reportedly sign a four-year contract worth €1 million per season, with the Frenchman’s agent picking up some €2 million for brokering the deal. The deal, when officially confirmed, will leave Manchester United’s management frustrated, and fans confused why a second talented youngster has left the club in a matter of months.
Pogba, whose United contract expires in June, will reportedly join the Italian giants next season after agent Mino Raiola negotiated a deal with the 27-times Serie A winners; an offer on the table from United was ultimately rejected by the Pogba, or his people. Indeed, the size of the Raiola’s demands to secure a new deal with United was reportedly a major sticking point in negotiations, which effectively brok down a fortnight ago. Pogba has reportedly been training with the reserve team since.
Meanwhile, another emerging talent, Ravel Morrison, departed the club for West Ham United in January. Morrison’s departure was, perhaps, inevitable with the club finally realising that all the euphemistic baggage could not be shed while the player remained in Manchester. The teenager, frustrated at a lack of senior opportunities, simply wanted to be in the first team. Anywhere.
Pogba’s departure is entirely different to Morrison’s of course, with the transfer driven – depending on which side of the story is most prominent – by a naïve, possibly greedy player, manipulative agent and a club unwilling to scale new pay heights for an unproven player.
But with two leading stars of last season’s FA Youth Cup winning side now departed, or on the way out, fans are given pause to wonder just how careless United has been. After all, to have lost one supreme talent was unfortunate. Two departing Old Trafford in quick succession begs a whole new level of questions.
Naturally there will now be a significant amount of revisionism. Pogba, once seen as the new bright young thing in United’s academy, has now become the ‘unproven kid’, with just four first team appearances to his name. Fans are, as the cliché goes, fickle – and there is no greater pain than being rejected by the one you love.
As ever the nuances of truth lie somewhere in between. After all, this is a player with all the raw ingredients to make a midfielder of the very highest class, but one who was not yet ready for regular first team action. Pogaba’s performances at reserve level this season have rarely impressed, too often giving the impression of a player in a hurry without the patience to develop in his own time.
Meanwhile, Italian ‘super agent’ Raiola joined the scene last year, provoking a flurry of stories that Pogba was in talks with a range of Serie A clubs, together with Manchester City and Chelsea. While the domestic links were not solidified, Raiola has seemingly worked his home turf hard to come up with a deal that suits all parties – except United that is.
Indeed, the risk is minimal for the Old Lady, with Juve’s maximum outlay around €6 million over four years. The player receives a hefty bump in salary, while the agent commands a huge fee. United will be left with around £300,000 in FIFA mandated ‘training compensation’.
Accusations of greed abound, of course. Pogba’s salary hike is generous, netting the 18-year-old around £16,000 per week; coincidentally, only marginally more than Morrison will initially earn at West Ham. Certainly, Pogba’s agent has done very well out of the deal, leading to a charge that he put himself and not the player’s interests first.
Time will tell whether the move is as good for Pogba’s playing chances as the youngster’s bank account, with Juve already boasting plenty of central midfield resources. After all, in addition to veteran Andrea Pirlo, the bianconeri boasts Claudio Marchisio, Arturo Vidal and Luca Marrone competing for spots in Antonio Conte’s side. The young Frenchman way well find himself out on loan next season – as is the Italian way.
But there are also questions of United’s conduct, both financially and in managing the player. Indeed, in the summer Ferguson spoke of his need to use the club’s younger players; it was a key tenet of the manager’s argument for not spending heavily to reinforce central midfield.
“If we hold Pogba back, what’s going to happen? He’s going to leave. You know, in a couple of years’ time when his contract is going to finish,” claimed Sir Alex last August. “So we have to give him the opportunity to see how he can do in the first-team and he’s got great ability.”
Four substitute appearances later and Pogba’s frustration at not making a breakthrough this season may be understandable. After all, United is not over-stocked with class in central midfield, with only Michael Carrick excelling this season. Darron Gibson was always going to be sold, while Darren Fletcher’s health is a long-term concern, and Paul Scholes, initially at least, retired.
True, others have deserved the breakthrough more – Larnell Cole, Jesse Lingard and Michael Keane, to name but three, have genuinely excelled at reserve level. Yet, there is no doubting Pogba’s raw talent. His was a key cog in the academy side that won last season’s Youth Cup – the most talented group, according to many observers, since the famed ‘class of 1992’. It is a group no more.
Then there is the question of money and whether United’s hardline stance on both wages and fees to agents is prudent. While Old Trafford’s bean counters are keen on reducing wage inflation at all levels this may be at the expense of retaining competitiveness at the bottom end of the market.
Of course, £16,000 per week in wages is beyond the dreams of almost all United supporters. Perhaps morally, ethically and financially bankrupt too. But if that is the level the market now dictates for talented youth then United’s position is not tenable.
Priced out of a deal for Wesley Sneijder at the very top of the market last summer, if the Reds cannot afford the best young players either then the squeeze on talent in Ferguson’s squad will be felt. Morrison and Pogba are not an island – Davide Petrucci and Ezikiel Fryers are also out of contract in the summer and seemingly likely to move on.
Yet Pogba’s deal with Juve, should it be confirmed officially, leaves a bitter after taste for many Old Trafford regulars. The hope of many that United could compete at the very top-level with talent drawn from within is on hold once again.
Instead, United has struggled to translate investment in youth over two decades to talent in the first team. John O’Shea, Wes Brown and Darren Fletcher have been good servants, if short of the very highest class; Jonny Evans is only now beggining to demonstrate the talent that has drawn loyalty from his manager. Tom Cleverley and the da Silva brothers may well come good, although all three provoke questions over ongoing fitness.
In truth, it is almost impossibly difficult to build a team from within, unless of course, the club’s name is Barcelona. On a night when 20-year-old Cristian Tello marked his Champions League début with a brace for the Catalan giants there was another reminder that talent knows no age barrier.
Greed, manipulation or a club unwilling to financially compete? Only time will tell whether United has genuinely lost out with Pogba’s move to Italy.
In the meantime the club will move on; fans will forget. In an age of rolling social media, young players no longer develop away from the spotlight. Last season’s Morrison, Pogba and Ryan Tunnicliffe are easily cast aside in the collective consciousness. Roll up Gyliano van Velzen, Mats Møller Dæhli and Adnan Januzaj. They demand your adoration.
Complete cock up on Uniteds part.
We were attractive enough to get him here from France, but too fuckin casual about keeping him.
He should never have been allowed to run his contract down to his final year.
Some here will moan, “oh no not again”, but I blame the Glazers… this never would have happened before they turned up.
Only a fuckin accountant would think like this… a football man would have tied both Pogba and Morrison down last year at the latest… even if Morrison turned out to be more trouble than he’s worth to us, we would have gotten a better deal if he wasn’t nearly out of contract.
We are a light weight in the transfer market now… fact… and agents, players and clubs know it… and now we can’t even hold onto our top prospects…
This has got Glazer stink all over it!
Morrisson: A supreme talent?
He’s setting the Championship alight as we speak with 0 appearances in 2 monthes at the club.
RedScorpion – he wasn’t fit and West Ham said they’d ease him in. Pretty pointless making a pithy judgement on that basis.
This has nothing to do with the Glazers Alfonso, though you do have a point about complacency on United’s part. Most of all though, agents need to have their wings clipped by the FA and FIFA. How can this twat get 2 million for a few hours work over a couple of months, whilst united will get around 300K for developing, nurturing (and paying wages) for 2 years? It makes a mockery of football.
However, the way we got Pogba, and for nothing also made it more likely that we would lose him in similar circumstances…and thus the wheel turns full circle! There is no denying though that it leaves a very bad taste.
Fergie is the cause, he manages to let all the best players quitting our club. He is a granpa for himself and wants to win with old players … No future …. Thank you
Nothing to do with Glazer economics just a lad who wanted too much to soon. Great in the youth set up looked like the child he is out of it.
Only a year or two between him and jones yet look worlds apart. With the best will in the world he is 3 years of first team at United and needed to prove himself. He will do ok at Juve but will still struggle to break first team in the next couple of years.
Juve is a step down, average crowds are only 25-30,000 I think. Right to get rid of Morrison and not concerned regarding Pogba. It’s nothing to do with money or the Glazers this time its just he isn’t proven and doesn’t look like he will develop quickly so not willing to cave in to agent demands.
Next!
I never said it was about money… it’s about our “new” way of doing things.
He’s only 18… ready or not, why was such a fine prospect allowed to run his contract down to his final year?
He should have been tied down last year, or sooner… not wait till the last minute, when we’ve got no control of the situation…
Juve is a sideways step certainly not a step down. 29 Serie A titles and many of them during the era when Italy had the strongest football in the world. Now City have spent big and Man Utd’s youngsters are looking elsewhere staying at Utd could prove to be many years without major trophys.
It is true that teams in Italy have smaller crowds (especially against smaller teams) but the atmosphere is still electric and as Keane said not too long ago, many Utd fans in the stadium are not there to create any atmosphere anyway.
Its also wrong to compare him to Jones. Remember other youngsters at Utd like Pique and Rossi had limited impact at Utd and have gone on to be worth over £30m each
Fuck him.
Anyway, ’tis all part of Fergies master plan to force the agenda of buying a genuinely top drawer midfielder in the summer….
I agree that the Glazers have a lot to do with this by introducing this ridiculous policy of negotiating players’ contracts when they’re in their final year. This isn’t the first time a player has tried to hold us to ransom like this in recent years. We’ve inexplicably surrendered all leverage to the players and it was entirely forseeable that this would happen.
Pogba is an idiot, though. He’s made a huge mistake if it’s true that he’s opted to go to Juve. He’d probably have earned more if he’d spent a good few years staying at United than gone to Juve. Our world-wide reach, our commercial and sponsorship income dwarfs Juve’s.
It’s not a question of loyalty, contrary to what some people might argue. It’s a question of Pogba making an idiotic decision which may well ruin his career.
You overestimate Utd and underestimate Juventus. Remember if he stays at Utd he has to accept he plays for a team that are not even the strongest team in the city let alone the league. I cant see Utd winning major trophys for a few years to come
Peter – nice WUM but even with City’s wealth, and the Glazers less than generous approach to the market the United are just two points behind City in the league. Let’s not count any chickens just yet, hey?
I doubt this has anything to do with the Glazers. The sums of money involved are too small to bother them. If we can take a £7m punt on a player like Bebe (a player far more unproven than Pogba) then that tells me it isn’t about money.
When we have a couple of outstanding youngsters for God’s sake lets’s play them. Or if they aren’t actually good enough to even make a few substitute appearences then let’s stop deluding ourselves. Giggs was playing at 17, Rooney at 16. Pogba’s now 19.
Ferguson has become more cautious. He doesn’t give young players the chances that he used to. Juventus are willing to take a chance on Pogba. If he’s as good as we all thought then it will be their gain and our loss.
Yep, but he’s only 18 Sheesh… in my opinion, you should expect stupidity from an 18 year old lad… and plan accordingly.
There aren’t too many level headed lads his age, that wouldn’t get a stiffy and start drooling at the thought of big money, fast cars and wet women… you can blame the agent for that…
But Ferguson isn’t new to this game… he’s been dealing with randy young twats, eyeballing the big pay day for over 30 years… why is it this one caught him by surprise?
It didn’t… I bet Ferguson saw this coming a mile away, but was powerless to do anything about it… rumour is, that he’s been working on him, and even had Rio trying to bring him around… but the fact is, he had no hold over the lad… and his agent was free to make him promises that are only months away… had he been tied down for another few years… those promises would have had no weight.
Tevez is the definition of greed… Pogba is just a dumb kid, taken advantage of by an unscrupulous agent… in fact, if his career suffers in Italy, you could even make the argument that we, as the club that took him away from his home when he was even younger, should have looked out for him better than we did.
“Badges, to god-damned hell with badges! We have no badges. In fact, we don’t need badges. I don’t have to show you any stinking badges, you god-damned cabrón and ching’ tu madre! Come out from that shit-hole of yours. I have to speak to you.”
Disappointed to see him go. We obviously need new talent in central midfield, and he looks like a real prospect. However, glad to see United are not paying ridiculous fees to agents. They are a parasite in the game, and this needs to be addressed by FIFA. The current status-quo is open to the abuse of greedy agents merely out to line their own pockets. This needs to change.
It does leave a bitter taste in the mouth this one. Disappointment that an agent could be so selfish and his client so stupid. I’m sure there are good agents out their, who understand a footballer’s development is about environment not money… unfortunately not here. I personally believe the result will be that another youngster is given the chance. Lets hope they step up to the plate.
Pogba is not a dumb kid and nor is he an idiot, his contract was up, he honored it and had a right to leave, he’s not from Manchester , was never a utd supporter he left his old club under similar circumstances, he gets paid to train and to play football and no matter how much fans love the sport it is a job so if he goes where he gets paid more then that’s up to him and all of you would probably do the same thing in your current employment. If man utd can’t afford to pay him what juve are then good luck to him perhaps juve are more ambitious or desperate.
don – perfectly fair comment. It’s a job. Pogba left Le Harve at the first opportunity. Why should we expect loyalty now?
You’re right about Le Havre, but wrong about football. It’s not just a job, and even if it was, part of the JOB description is dedication and loyalty. They are prize assets along with talent. Too many people are blinded by money, and this is often the people on the outside looking in, rather than the footballers themselves.
I don’t agree, Alf, if the stories are true about the agent demanding £2M for himself. Asking the club to pay £2M just to have the privilege of paying a massive weekly wage to an 18 year old lad already on the club’s books — you must be joking. Football’s a business and all that, but there has to be some common sense.
The problem is that Morrison was a dipshit from day 1, and we set the wrong example with Pogba by nabbing him out of the French club in the first place. If we’re going to keep trawling around for teenagers from other countries, we’re going to get teenaged mercenaries.
To be honest I’m still more upset about Vidal going to Juve last summer than some young lad who may or may not be all that going to them this summer. Vidal is exactly the sort of player we need in midfield, and he was going for decent money. I think he can even do a decent shift on the left and is a proper left-footer too, for added value.
Was hoping he’d stay, but at the end of the day…. Fuck him, greedy twat.
I’m not so sure all has been said yet. I read that these rumours are from a newspaper from UAE that published stories originally from two weeks ago that have been addressed already. Now, all the other media treat the UAE publication as new info rather than yesterdays news (that has been disproven). So until I hear something from an official source I remain sceptical.
Moreover, didn’t we have an option for another year on Pogba? Whatever happened with that?
Here is the link:
http://sportwitness.ning.com/forum/topics/the-curious-reporting-of-the-paul-pogba-story-is-a-lesson-in-rumo
Isn’t there a clause in Pogba’s contract for one year extension? I am almost certain that Fergie alluded to the option during a press conference.
Yeah that’s a good point, I think I remember that too. It’s a good point that this story is not actually confirmed yet.
Yeah, Ed’s put it in the article. Fergie said two years left on his contract last summer.
That said, it does appear that Pogba is being ostracised, which suggests he’s on his way out.
triggs – Fergie definitely said that United had an option for an extra year. But my attempts to clarify with OT have fallen on deaf ears. Well, the usual no comment on contracts response. I’m now assuming that Fergie simply got it wrong.
You lot keep missing the point… it’s not about the wages or the agents cut… those things are the ugly result of what is the real issue here.
He should have been tied down to a new contract last year at the latest.
This new policy of negotiating contracts in the final year is an accountants logic… not that of a football man.
And that is the Glazer way of doing things…
Totally agree Alf. How many times have we seen this happen, and at other clubs as well. Remember when Mathieu Flamini left Arsenal to go to Milan? At the time, Wenger used to say Fabregas + Flamini was the best midfield duo he had seen at the club, Flamini left not just because of money or the club’s status but because Arsenal really screwed up the timing of the contract situation.
Pogba might be a big loss for us, but only time will tell. The bottom line though is that if we were to try to sign a young midfielder of proven quality, the price would be astronomical in comparison with the cost of wages accrued over several years of a young player developing at the club. If Pogba develops well, how much would he cost at age 21? Maybe more than £10 million? That’s a significant amount more than the potential total of an increased wage over the next 3 seasons.
I’m not saying United should cave in to players’ and agents’ demands but the timing of contracts has killed things in this example. For the top notch youngsters it is surely worth taking a punt by offering competitive wage increases via a contract extension 2 or 3 years before a contract is due to expire.
Neil – United is keen to move to incentivised contracts – I’m surprise an offer wasn’t put on the table that would see Pogba earning reasonable wages now (<£10k) rising to first team level wages based on appearances, international debut and so on. Could have been very lucrative. But, probably hard to sell to a kid who has seen around an hour's first team action in total this season after Fergie went out of his way to praise the kid in the summer.
I guess so, tbh I don’t really know. Though maybe this way of doing things might become the standard even at big clubs if financial fair play proves to actually have some substance to it, but I suspect it will be a load of bollocks that clubs like City will easily get around.
Money of course has played a huge part in this deal, but I think a huge factor is the lack of first team opportunities that has been afforded to him. He has played virtually no first team football and only been on the bench for a handful of games. He should have been given a chance in this season’s Carling Cup but for whatever reason he wasn’t. Whether that is down to Fergie not thinking he was as good as the rest of us do, or another reason we’ll probably never know. The days when we can just expect young players to wait their time because we are competing for trophies on all fronts are gone. As it seems are the days when Fergie would just throw in a youngster. He’d now rather rely on Giggs and Scholes, last seasons Youth Cup winning looked a special side and now two of the gems have gone. Yes for very different reasons, but what message does it send to the youngers players when Fergie would rather bring Scholes out of retirement than give youth a chance.
United is a club built on traditions of young players, that tradition is being eroded year by year.
i have no clue about this player but if hes much cop and hes watching park rafa and jones in midfield ahead of him while other big clubs want him its a no brainer to fuck off somewhere else
cleverleys 22 and only just got in the side, for a 18 year old like pogba that must look like a lifetime away
Has the deal actually been done?
Because I’m reading that Fergie & Gill are going to have a meeting on the issue, which suggests there is still a chance he will stay
Might be bullshit, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they held on to him when the only alternative is actually buying a midfielder
Can we really be surprised by this? Pogba came to us in controversial circumstances, his head has been turned and he is on his way. Its the nature of the modern footballer, and to be fair to United he hasn’t done anything to be worth around £20k a year.
With Pogba we couldn’t loan him out to an English club, in a similar way than Macheda insisted in going to Sampdoria last season. Morrison is a one off, he clearly has behavioral and mental issues. To be honest all the foreign juniors we’ve got in most have a question mark against them. They are very likely to go back to mainland Europe given the chance.
Tunnicliffe, Fryers & the Keane brothers are worth investing time and the money in as they are local lads who understand what makes a United player and be more likely to go out on loan and learn their trade. In addition there will be few problems of tactics or coaching being “lost in translation” like the other lads. Coming through the ranks is a football schooling.
an 18 year old saying multiple thousands of pounds per week is not enough, when he’s still just a trainee. the whole sport’s just a load of shit nowadays really isn’t it. I feel like becoming a bilbao supporter, i bet they’ve loads of fit birds too.
Yep doctors, teachers, social workers are paid peanuts whilst these premadonnas get paid millions to kick a ball round the park. Its all getting a bit old.
These “premadonnas” are the reason we watch the game… and the game generates huge £… who would you rather get the money? the owners? the Murdochs?
In an ideal world, much more of the money generated by clubs would be reinvested to improve facilities for visiting fans or to improve playing/training facilities or to set up academies or to reinvest in local community schemes.
Here’s another idea- clubs make enough money as it is. How about giving paying fans a fair deal and make watching football more affordable?
Football has for too long gone down the unsustainable route of paying players more and more money. This cannot go on forever without there being a significant risk of the bubble bursting later on down the line….and it will burst.
Footballers’ salaries have skyrocketed over the last 20 years. This is unsustainable. Do you honestly think that the amount of TV money apportioned between clubs is going to keep going up ad infinitum? Of course it won’t.
There is too much money swilling around between owners and players. People with more money than sense. No wonder some people are getting disenfranchised with the game in this country.
Football in this country is in dire need of a reality check.
sheesh – unfortunately financial fair play encourages clubs to squeeze fans as much as demand/supply will allow. Every penny of revenue counts.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/2010/apr/11/bundesliga-premier-league
NothIng to do with the Glazers unless you blame them for being sensible. Tying a bunch of unproven quantities down fo lower can still be a waste. What’s Pogba or Morrison proven on the pitch at the highest level? Zero. I think if we signed these lads last year they’d be agitating for a move now because of a lack of playing time. Why don’t they have it? Because they haven’t got what it takes in terms of discipline or motivation. Ed’s right in that it forces a look at the whole picture– do we take a punt on unproven talent just to stay in the game? I don’t know but I prefer to trust in the football people that he wasnt worth the effort. Naive? Possibly. But the only expert football folks involved decided he a) wasnt worth the wage or b) would upset the whole apple cart if they gave him what he wanted. Blame the Glazers? Blame the agent. End of. The saddest part for me is that for United and probably every every other top-flIght club the Class of 92 days are over. It’s sad but that’s modern football. Rio, a world class talent and Patrice, a countryman with world cup credentials isn’t enough to sway you? Eff him.
Lack
Tax them more. Put the money towards something worthwhile. The amount of money they are paid is a joke.
The current ‘news’ on twitter is that he’s signed a new contract with United and he’s in the squad tomorrow.
Lol
…
Wait til something is official
Oh bollocks!
I have a problem with anyone who makes so much more money than the average… but I don’t like the way footballers seem to be an easy target, because everyone associates football wealth with easy, or even undeserved money.
These lads dedicate their lives to training and practice just as much as any lawyer or doctor dedicates to their education… and when I see the likes of Madonna making millions without an ounce of talent… or some well connected banker, who rakes in a 7 figure bonus, for losing other peoples money… or the stupid money paid to some leggy bint, who’s thick as mud, but looks great in the latest Prada gear… or the latest Hollywood sensation, who didn’t even have to work at getting noticed, cause their Daddy is a local big shot… the thought of Rooney making millions doesn’t bother me at all.
Sensible?
Is that what you call them?
Pogba on the bench today…maybe this one has a little longer to run.
Reports that Pogba has signed a new four year contract with United. I’d say the club has caved on the financial demands…. Mino Raiola really is a genius at working deals through the media.
We bought it hook line and sinker. We look a bit ridiculous now, after having a good moan about the state of our club etc.
It makes sense for United to ‘cave in’ to his wage demands – it’s still cheaper than buying an actual midfielder, and Fergie won’t be judged so harshly if he flops.
The question with Pogba is are we going to play him or not? If not then let him go to another club, if yes then give him a decent wage and let him prove his worth.
Frankly it is ridiculous that we havent sent him out on loan this season. We seem to be really indecisive where he’s concerned.
so has he signed the fkin contract yet?