Paul Pogba / turned down United offer of 300k as “nothing”

Just make him our highest earner, then if required Bruno gets parity.

You keep our best two players which is better than any other result here.

It leaves us in the best possible footing to focus our efforts on DM and Striker next summer.
(Rather than trying to replace arguably our best player on top of those other positions.)
I doubt just 'highest earner' would be enough, Raiola would surely be asking significantly more than De Gea.
And then the next player up for renewal wants more, and the next and so on. You would have hoped we've learnt a lesson after the Sanchez and De Gea contracts.
 
I doubt just 'highest earner' would be enough, Raiola would surely be asking significantly more than De Gea.
And then the next player up for renewal wants more, and the next and so on. You would have hoped we've learnt a lesson after the Sanchez and De Gea contracts.
Yeah except he’s a lot better than those players and in his peak. That’s the difference.

Your always going to have big differences in pay for certain level players compared to others.
We will have that now.

There most are on long-ish contracts so is not an immediate issue and almost none of them are as important as these two. We could get away with it relatively hassle free imo.
 
Pretty obvious since the last Raiola comments that he wont sign an extension. Now it is just waiting until next year and see who offers him the best package between PSG and Real. Maybe even Juve
Him and Mbappe both on frees to Real
 
Yeah except he’s a lot better than those players and in his peak. That’s the difference.

Your always going to have big differences in pay for certain level players compared to others.
We will have that now.

There most are on long-ish contracts so is not an immediate issue and almost none of them are as important as these two. We could get away with it relatively hassle free imo.
Easy to say now while he's playing well. Different further down the line when someone else looking for a new contract looks like a key player for us at the time.

We all see the mess Barcelona are in with Messi dragging up the contracts of everyone else. It's a balancing act.
 
Easy to say now while he's playing well. Different further down the line when someone else looking for a new contract looks like a key player for us at the time.

We all see the mess Barcelona are in with Messi dragging up the contracts of everyone else. It's a balancing act.

Messi didn't drag other players contracts up. There is no balancing acts, players aren't equal, they do not have the same leverage, they don't have the same level of substitutability and they have never been paid the same way. Barcelona are in a mess because their board was incompetent.
 
Yeah except he’s a lot better than those players and in his peak. That’s the difference.

Your always going to have big differences in pay for certain level players compared to others.
We will have that now.

There most are on long-ish contracts so is not an immediate issue and almost none of them are as important as these two. We could get away with it relatively hassle free imo.
His talent isn't questioned from anybody I guess. But we have witnessed it on our own - while being able to deliver world class performances, he didn't really do it on a somewhat consistent level. He is looking for his last big payday, I'd say pay him shitloads but make it performance based and noone in the fan base will have any doubt that this would be a great deal.

One match against Leeds shouldn't just make us do silly mistakes. We have a proud tradition of that in the last 10 years, lets try to continue the positive trend by stopping it.
 
Messi didn't drag other players contracts up. There is no balancing acts, players aren't equal, they do not have the same leverage, they don't have the same level of substitutability and they have never been paid the same way. Barcelona are in a mess because their board was incompetent.
I said Messi but pick any other highly paid player if you want and another's agent can point to that and say I want that for my player. You really think it doesn't have an impact on inflating the general wage bill?
 
I really don't know how they can keep within the FFP with all those guys there? Ramos has to be on a pretty package, Neymar, Mbappe, Messi and Pogs at 600k?
I don't know how Poch can have a fluid system when you have all of the superstars in one system? None of those guys tracks back. So it will basically be a 5-0-5 system. No one at the tip of the spear will press.

Plus Poch's man-management skills will be put to a test for sure.

I don't know about FFP. Barca could afford to pay Messi 2m/wk before, and some other high wages players.

I'm not sure how's their line up would be. And I don't think Poch would be there next season.

Anyway, I disagree that we should make Pogba the highest paid, and almost doubled the 2nd highest paid. His performance during his time here doesn't warrant that.
 
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Ronaldo gave us one final great season, let’s hope Pogba does too. I’m off the opinion that if he was going to sign he would have done so already
Unless he realizes now that the other clubs can't really offer him more than we can (let's see what PSG really can offer now with Messi), he might stay. Otherwise, I think it is clear that this is his last season.
 
He will see what his options are close to the end of the season, quite understandably so.

We still might be an attractive option, but certainly he will have a couple of offers.
 
His talent isn't questioned from anybody I guess. But we have witnessed it on our own - while being able to deliver world class performances, he didn't really do it on a somewhat consistent level. He is looking for his last big payday, I'd say pay him shitloads but make it performance based and noone in the fan base will have any doubt that this would be a great deal.

One match against Leeds shouldn't just make us do silly mistakes. We have a proud tradition of that in the last 10 years, lets try to continue the positive trend by stopping it.
Yeah I’m not basing that opinion on the Leeds game, I’ve always valued his performances for us more than many here. I believe he brings more to the table than many realise and that if we had built the base of midfield to suit him we would have seen that Leeds performance FAR more often.

Also I’m acutely aware of how our performances drop off a cliff without Bruno and how much Pogba can help ease the burden on him.
I think Ole knows that and he knows the importance of having the two of them. No one-man team can win the league.

We absolutely have to keep our best players and continue building. We’ve taken big steps forward, I’m not keen on taking steps backwards.
 
If he can maintain the form he showed on Saturday and helps us to a PL title then it's thank you and good riddance.

Can I ask just from an informative position, what exactly is your issue with a player like Pogba?

You've just articulated that if he performed well for us and leaves its "good riddance". Not having a go at you, I just want to understand the logic behind something like that.

In most cases, if someone performs well and leaves in any field, not just football, normally the next statement isn't "good riddance".
 
Yeah I’m not basing that opinion on the Leeds game, I’ve always valued his performances for us more than many here. I believe he brings more to the table than many realise and that if we had built the base of midfield to suit him we would have seen that Leeds performance FAR more often.

Also I’m acutely aware of how our performances drop off a cliff without Bruno and how much Pogba can help ease the burden on him.
I think Ole knows that and he knows the importance of having the two of them. No one-man team can win the league.

We absolutely have to keep our best players and continue building. We’ve taken big steps forward, I’m not keen on taking steps backwards.
Totally understand your points but in my eyes they don't necessarily speak FOR Pogba.

A) Talent is undebatable. Realization of this talent lacks a little. I also think, we have tried anything to have him play to his best but none worked. I am pretty sure, there was only a very small minority of people asking if playing him on the wing would be an idea. Majority was adamant, he needs to play in the double-pivot. Reality shows that keeping him further away from our goal but closer to the opposition brings the best from him. But having another player like that in Bruno will have to be compensated somehow.

B) No one wants us to be a one-man team. But we don't stop being one by keeping Pogba. We have also Sancho who is known to be a creator, we have Shaw who seems capable of taking more responsibility, we have seen Rashford being quite good in a more chance-creating role.

C) Again noone is keen on that :) Of course we would want to bring in some sort of replacement for Pogba.

I think, the situation is very clear. Most people would be absolutely fine to keep Pogba as long as his wages don't become a roadblock for further improvement. And there is certainly a valid argument being made, that replacing a free-spirit like Pogba, that is difficult to get into the starting eleven and find a productive role for with a more specialised player might even improve the team way more because it eases the job of several other players. Granted - if he keeps playing like he did on the weekend, there is absolutely no need for discussions like that. But experience shows, that these periods usually don't last long. And most teams won't be as open and passive as Leeds have been.
 
I said Messi but pick any other highly paid player if you want and another's agent can point to that and say I want that for my player. You really think it doesn't have an impact on inflating the general wage bill?

It doesn't. Whether a player can get a higher wage at a club depends on how replaceable he is, whether he has suitors or how much these suitors are willing to pay. Imposed wage inflation is not something that is internal to a club, it's based on external factors and outside of the things that I mentioned the general inflation is due to clubs having more money to spend and being willing to outbid other clubs for valuable players.
If you take someone like De Jong, his wage isn't due to Messi but the fact that a handful of wealthy clubs were fighting for his signature, he was seen as a rare player, on the other end Arthur didn't get a particularly high wage because he wasn't seen as a rare player. You can see the same thing with De Ligt, he didn't had the same wage than Demiral even though they moved the same summer to the same club where Ronaldo is earning a fortune.
 
Cant blame the club letting him go on free, it might even be more economical to give him a new contract of 500k per week than buy a new player for 60m to replace him. But giving him these wages will creat hurricanes in the dressing room. So good luck to him.
 
He obviously isn't going to sign an extension once the transfer window expires, so we will know in a couple of weeks whether he will stay or not. I hope he signs an extension this month but I won't be surprised if he doesn't. I think the writing has been on the wall for a while now.

The only hope will be that he gives us one last great season with more performances like the Leeds game before he goes.
Maybe the best we can hope for is that he agrees to be sold (yes, sold) next year on the proviso that he signs a contract extension so we get a fee for him. Why would he agree to this? Guaranteed higher wages for the remaining year, gets to leave in a respectful way, has it written into his contract he will definitely be sold at or above x amount next summer, and so can fully concentrate on his football.
 
Maybe the best we can hope for is that he agrees to be sold (yes, sold) next year on the proviso that he signs a contract extension so we get a fee for him. Why would he agree to this? Guaranteed higher wages for the remaining year, gets to leave in a respectful way, has it written into his contract he will definitely be sold at or above x amount next summer, and so can fully concentrate on his football.

Way too romantic im afraid
 
Ronaldo gave us one final great season, let’s hope Pogba does too. I’m off the opinion that if he was going to sign he would have done so already

You are probably right, which makes me a bit sad. :(

It also seems to be a new thing among players that they will run down their contracts, maybe they noticed that if they don't cost the club any transfer money that money is instead going into their own pockets.
 
You are probably right, which makes me a bit sad. :(

It also seems to be a new thing among players that they will run down their contracts, maybe they noticed that if they don't cost the club any transfer money that money is instead going into their own pockets.

There is also the issue that clubs that have money are now asking for prohibitive fees because the gap between very wealthy and wealthy clubs has widened. Many players aren't moving if a record offer isn't made.
 
There is also the issue that clubs that have money are now asking for prohibitive fees because the gap between very wealthy and wealthy clubs has widened. Many players aren't moving if a record offer isn't made.
Yes and going to get worse if they force the silly ESL idea through. Football is all about money and less about the fans and fairness. It’s become more than a billion pound/euro/dollar industry but it’s sad that they are forgetting what makes football.
 
Totally understand your points but in my eyes they don't necessarily speak FOR Pogba.

A) Talent is undebatable. Realization of this talent lacks a little. I also think, we have tried anything to have him play to his best but none worked. I am pretty sure, there was only a very small minority of people asking if playing him on the wing would be an idea. Majority was adamant, he needs to play in the double-pivot. Reality shows that keeping him further away from our goal but closer to the opposition brings the best from him. But having another player like that in Bruno will have to be compensated somehow.

B) No one wants us to be a one-man team. But we don't stop being one by keeping Pogba. We have also Sancho who is known to be a creator, we have Shaw who seems capable of taking more responsibility, we have seen Rashford being quite good in a more chance-creating role.

C) Again noone is keen on that :) Of course we would want to bring in some sort of replacement for Pogba.

I think, the situation is very clear. Most people would be absolutely fine to keep Pogba as long as his wages don't become a roadblock for further improvement. And there is certainly a valid argument being made, that replacing a free-spirit like Pogba, that is difficult to get into the starting eleven and find a productive role for with a more specialised player might even improve the team way more because it eases the job of several other players. Granted - if he keeps playing like he did on the weekend, there is absolutely no need for discussions like that. But experience shows, that these periods usually don't last long. And most teams won't be as open and passive as Leeds have been.
Yeah I agree on the whole, except I do think he can play in the pivot albeit alongside the right defensive partner.

Especially now we have Varane in defence with Maguire. We should now push up as a unit which will help in general, alongside the fact Pogba won’t be babysitting Lindelof.

IMO there is a strong argument to be made that this would work against 90% of opposition.

Then there’s the argument that he provides a lot more from the left than Rashford does - I don’t necessarily subscribe to that as I value Rashford inclusion.

In summary I’d argue his talent and match winning capabilities should dictate he finds a place in the starting 11.

Particularly becuase he will be extremely difficult and costly to replace and we are in need of a top level DM regardless of whether Pogba stays or goes (a top DM that I’d use to partner him in the pivot against said 90% of teams.)
 
Because of Pogba's age a new contract will be dangerous for the club: he's now at his max earning potential but it's likely he'll be playing below his current level for the second half of a 4 or 5yr contract.

If he signs a 5yr contract now he'll be almost 34 when it ends & probably still then among the highest paid players in the squad. It's important to avoid having to pay him in his 30s to play for someone else, as has happened recently to Sanchez, Ozil, Bale & maybe in the future for DDG etc.

The ideal, for any club, is that a contract expires when a player is 30/31. I think that clubs need to be more strategic in renewing contracts early, if necessary, to take advantage of that ie. offer the player a 5yr renewal when they get to 25/26, don't wait until they're 28/29 & start negotiating. That wouldn't have worked with Pogba though, I suspect he wouldn't have signed a new contract at any point since he's been at United.

The safest thing to do for the club is to offer him a slightly more generous 3+1yr contract, but he'll want longer than that.
 
600k a week plus a 30m signing on bonus.....no chance he signs a new contract at United and quite honestly for that amount of money who can blame him???

that's a ridiculous amount of money
 
600k a week plus a 30m signing on bonus.....no chance he signs a new contract at United and quite honestly for that amount of money who can blame him???

that's a ridiculous amount of money

How do they afford so many players with such high wages and comply with any regulation?

Messi Neymar Mbappe all over 500k
Even Bench players like Herrera are on 250k
 
It doesn't. Whether a player can get a higher wage at a club depends on how replaceable he is, whether he has suitors or how much these suitors are willing to pay. Imposed wage inflation is not something that is internal to a club, it's based on external factors and outside of the things that I mentioned the general inflation is due to clubs having more money to spend and being willing to outbid other clubs for valuable players.
If you take someone like De Jong, his wage isn't due to Messi but the fact that a handful of wealthy clubs were fighting for his signature, he was seen as a rare player, on the other end Arthur didn't get a particularly high wage because he wasn't seen as a rare player. You can see the same thing with De Ligt, he didn't had the same wage than Demiral even though they moved the same summer to the same club where Ronaldo is earning a fortune.
So you don't think wages of other players within the club has any impact when it comes to renewals?
 
How do they afford so many players with such high wages and comply with any regulation?

Messi Neymar Mbappe all over 500k
Even Bench players like Herrera are on 250k

Mbappe won't be at PSG when Pogba arrives if he does. I still think Pogba's preferred destination is Madrid but i don't know if Madrid can pay him what PSG would especially if they sign Mbappe. Bale's expiring contract might help.

PSG are run like City....oil money hidden in the couches and no one to regulate that spending
 
Unless he realizes now that the other clubs can't really offer him more than we can (let's see what PSG really can offer now with Messi), he might stay. Otherwise, I think it is clear that this is his last season.

I'm not entirely sure it's about money with Pogba. I think he simply wants to win trophies, and he'll do whatever it takes to achieve that. If we build on what we saw at the weekend and have a proper go at the title this year, I think he'll sign.

The thought of losing him on a free for a second time is infuriating.
 
In fairness, him not being tied down may be the best possible thing for us in terms of on-field performance. He is playing to earn himself a mega-contract either her or elsewhere. So many players have career years when they are trying to get a big new contract (though it's also common for players to form to fall off a cliff once they have signed the contract).
But in the short term, it means we may not see that inconsistent Pogba that can go missing from games this season. We may just get the motivated world-class Pogba we all hoped we were buying 5 years ago but have only seen sporadically.
 
How do they afford so many players with such high wages and comply with any regulation?

Messi Neymar Mbappe all over 500k
Even Bench players like Herrera are on 250k

FFP has been relaxed(/dissolved) and the club is owned & funded by a nation state.
 
I'm not entirely sure it's about money with Pogba. I think he simply wants to win trophies, and he'll do whatever it takes to achieve that. If we build on what we saw at the weekend and have a proper go at the title this year, I think he'll sign.

The thought of losing him on a free for a second time is infuriating.
If he moves to PSG, it is most likely all about money
 
if he stays, has a great season and helps us win a trophy then pisses off to PSG or Madrid....peace out

at least then we aren't tied to another ridiculous contract like we have with Phil Jones
 
if he stays, has a great season and helps us win a trophy then pisses off to PSG or Madrid....peace out

at least then we aren't tied to another ridiculous contract like we have with Phil Jones

Yep, I'd be happy with that.

Enjoy playing in French league where nobody watches or care about.

Or boring La Liga.
 
If he moves to PSG, it is most likely all about money

I think he wants trophies. Doesnt matter from where he gets it.
And for this reason, I think he wont go to PSG, if Mbappe leaves PSG. And if PSG wanted him this year, he would have already done/can still go. But next season, it would be more Real( with Mbappe) than PSG.
 
Giving Pogba 400-500k a week while Bruno won't be earning more than 300k a week in his new contract seems odd when one player is consistent and produced more than the other.

Also, if we can't play Pogba is his proper position then what is the point of making him the highest paid player?
 
So you don't think wages of other players within the club has any impact when it comes to renewals?

Not really. Whether a player can increase his wage or not isn't based on what a teammate earn, it depends on how much he can earn with an other club or how replaceable he is for his club. Otherwise all players within a club would earn roughly the same amount which is far from true.

Now is a player going to try his luck and ask for as much as possible? Absolutely.