The moment of the decision is about to arrive, it is very close. It is now a matter of weeks, Paul Pogba will soon choose his future after a period of reflection that has lasted since last summer.
The current deal with Manchester United runs out in June and the strategy is very clear: Pogba will wait until May for a final decision, he's not in a hurry because this choice will be decisive in his career.
It is no coincidence that Paul has been repeating in public for months that he wants to win trophies, waiting for a turning point after so many complicated seasons in Manchester.
And his agent Mino Raiola has adopted a plan similar to the one he used a year ago with Gianluigi Donnarumma when his contract with AC Milan was about to expire: wait until the right moment, don't sign with any club during the season but choose when the plan for all the clubs for the next season is already clear and defined.
The same will happen with Pogba, pending the final decision which will depend on many factors.
This Pogba saga started last July: Manchester United during last summer, in the first week of July, made a proposal to Paul Pogba to extend the contract.
But the negotiation never entered the final stages because the club's project was still unclear and Pogba together with his agent Mino Raiola preferred to wait.
The same process happened for example with Bruno Fernandes, a negotiation that began in July 2021 and is now ready for signings on the new deal until 2027.
It took 8 months to reach an agreement for the Portuguese midfielder, while Pogba is still thinking about it and wants to understand what the club's plan will be before communicating his final decision.
This involves the next Man Utd manager who will replace Ralf Rangnick but also the club's expectations, future planning, ambitions that become decisive for a player like Pogba who will turn 30 in March 2023.
It is not a financial or salary-related choice: if he had wanted to choose the money, Pogba would have already been able to sign for several clubs that have approached him for months by offering high potential salaries and signing fees.
Paul makes it a personal, professional and even family matter: after so many years in Manchester, is it time to change club and try a new experience? Leaving England or staying in the same country?
So many factors that Pogba is evaluating with his family, he will take his time but he wants maximum clarity on the Manchester United project before making a final choice.
He has never had particular problems with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer despite some rumors, he has always had respect for the manager like now for Rangnick but he pretends to understand what Manchester United will be like before he can give a final answer.
Clearly, Paul Pogba's choice will affect Manchester United's transfer market in the coming months.
Regardless of the Frenchman's decision, a defensive midfielder will arrive because the club has been looking for a player in that position for months now, with Declan Rice top of the list but really complicated signing because West Ham don't want to give any discount for their star.
But in the case of Paul Pogba's departure, Man United will also consider the arrival of a more offensive and quality midfielder during the summer transfer market.
The other priorities concern the center-back, the expectation is to buy a new player in that position while waiting for the choice of the new manager; in addition, Manchester United are exploring the striker market.
Paul Pogba on his future: “We have to be honest, I am not satisfied over the last 5 years, but not at all. This year, it’s dead, we will win nothing again. Whether it is with Manchester or in another club, I want to win trophies”, he told Le Figaro. 🇫🇷 #MUFC pic.twitter.com/eE0KjnlVMm
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) March 23, 2022
A new player will arrive in that position in the summer after a complicated season, Ralf Rangnick has already been involved by the board in discussions for a striker who could represent the type of number 9 needed by Man United.
The process has started for weeks but will only be completed after further comparison in the coming months.
A necessary decision also because Edinson Cavani has decided not to stay at Manchester United and there will not be a new deal for him, the desire of the Uruguayan forward is to try an experience in Spain and therefore he will say goodbye to the club in the summer.
Jesse Lingard is also destined to leave Man United on a free transfer because his contract will not be extended, he wanted to move to Newcastle last January but the club had prevented him from doing so.
There will therefore be many changes in Manchester United version 2022/2023, waiting for the final choice of Paul Pogba who will change some strategies for the club when there will be the communication of the Frenchman and his agent Raiola.
For now, it's a work in progress.
