Paul Pogba wants to ‘win prizes’ at Manchester United, says Mino Raiola
Friday 20 December 2019 16:29, UK
Mino Raiola says that Paul Pogba would love to “win prizes” at Manchester United but admits the club blocked a potential move to Real Madrid last summer.
Pogba, who has not played for United due to injury since September 30, was heavily linked with a move to the Spanish giants before the start of the season but Raiola has insisted that the 26-year-old would not push for a transfer due to the respect he has for manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
- Ole: Pogba won't leave in January
- Solskjaer plays down Haaland reports
- Notebook: Solskjaer's first year at the wheel
Despite that, the World Cup winner continues to be linked with a move away from United after rejoining the club for a then-world-record £89m fee in 2016, a move Pogba made "with his heart" according to Raiola, but the agent says the midfielder remains keen to win trophies at Old Trafford.
"I think that Paul really went home," Raiola told the Daily Telegraph. "Paul could have gone elsewhere. But he really chose with his heart, to go home. Paul is a very, very nice person.
Live Renault Super Sunday
"For example, he's not able to be angry at Ole because Ole treated him so good when Ole was an older player and Paul was a younger player and the respect and the love that he received from Ole means he cannot get angry at Ole.
"Paul wants to be successful and happy and wants to win prizes and he would love to do that with Manchester United. Okay there was big interest from Real Madrid and Manchester didn't let him go. We didn't make a fuss about it and he didn't make a fuss about it because I work in accordance with the player.
"You know other players can bring things to extreme but Paul doesn't like that. So you work differently. There was an interest from Real Madrid but they didn't let him go and I'm sorry because I think that Paul being French then [Zinedine] Zidane is an important factor in French football history."
Raiola believes that United need to appoint a sporting director who can "bridge the sides" between the team, coach and owners and says the club are lacking in a clear philosophy in terms of players and how to play.
"Players that make a team, that fit it, that fit a philosophy, and Manchester United in this way is looking for a philosophy," he said.
"[Jurgen] Klopp and [Pep] Guardiola have a clear thing, of definition, of identity. You know if a player fits them or not. Or you even say different, 'this is a player for Klopp or for Guardiola'. And tell me the player who you would like for Manchester United? You don't know because you don't know the definition of Manchester United. The identity you don't know."
