Manchester United manager Ralf Rangnick has backed Paul Pogba despite the player’s contract situation at the club. Pogba missed the majority of the first half of the season due to injury but is set to return to training in the coming days and feature in their next feature. Ralf Ranick also insisted that Jadon Sancho”s struggles are all in his mind and he is one of the best players at the training sessions recently.
The French star has just 6 months remaining on his Old Trafford contract and there have been no talks going on between the club and player. Pogba will be 29 of age in two months and tieing him for a big and improved contract will backfire at Manchester United management. The advanced playmaker has also been looking for another challenge is likely to join either Paris Saint-Germain or Real Madrid this summer.
But recent rumors of him signing a contract extension after a meeting with manager Ralf Rangnick have surfaced this week. When reporters asked the German head coach, he backed the player to impress in the second half of the season and not to think about his contract situation. Even Rangnick has just 5 months on his contract with the club as Red Devils hired him as a temporary solution. If Rangnick manages to finish this season in top-four then management is planning to offer him a long-term contract.
“Even if it’s for only showing up for a new contract elsewhere, I mean, he will be highly motivated to do that. Why should I then not play him? For me, it’s not a question if a player has an expiring contract. The question is how much does he still want to be a part of this group? How much does he still feel emotionally and physically on board?” – Ralf Rangnick on Paul Pogba’s contract.
Pogba is returning to the training and can be a key factor for Rangnick to turn things around at Old Trafford. They sit in 7th position in the Premier League table with just 32 points from the opening 20 matches, 5 points behind 4th placed West Ham United. North London giants Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur are new favorites to finish this season in the fourth position as Manchester City, Liverpool, and Chelsea are certain to finish in top-three positions. Paul Pogba, Cristiano Ronaldo, Edinson Cavani will be leaving the club in the summer if they finish this season without Champions League qualification.
‘It’s All In His Head’, Ralf Rangnick On Jadon Sancho’s Struggles At Manchester United:
Jadon Sancho made his long-waited switch to Manchester United last summer for a transfer fee of £77 million from Borussia Dortmund. But it has been a nightmare debut for the 21-year-old English forward as he has scored just 2 goals and no assist in 23 appearances in Red Devils colors.
Ralf Rangnick believes that the Premier League move at this young age with a lot of expectations at one of the biggest clubs have affected the player’s performances. Rangnick who himself arrived from Bundesliga, states that there is a big difference to compete psychologically and physically in the Premier League compared to Bundesliga.
“The level of expectation was a lot lower compared to the situation when, at the age of 21, you come to a club like Manchester United for a high transfer fee, with a high level of expectation.” – Rangnick on Jadon Sancho.
Rangnick also cleared out the player’s commitment at the club by stating Sancho is one of the best performers in the recent training sessions and he needs to convert those in the matches.
“Whenever I see him train, he’s showing that he’s one of the best players in the training sessions, I said that to him, by the way, the day before yesterday. ‘Confirm the performances you show in training when you’re playing on the pitch.”