Pogba: I want to enjoy playing football again

My Football Facts ⇒ Articles

By Martin Graham | 8th Jun 2022

Free agent Paul Pogba who recently played for Manchester United has underlined his desire to enjoy the sport again ahead of a move to either Juventus or Paris Saint-Germain.

Pogba was on the books at Man United for six seasons after an £89 million move from Juventus in 2016. But it was a turbulent period for him characterised by off-field issues, injuries, poor management as well as pundit and fan scrutiny. Pogba looked a shadow of his bright self at times in the red jersey of Manchester United and his recent comments allude to that fact.

He is currently in talks with Juventus and PSG for his next move and he has granted an interview to state that his happiness on and off the pitch is what he is after at this stage of his career. Speaking in an interview with UNINTERRUPTED, an athlete empowerment organisation founded by basketball star LeBron James, Pogba said: “I just want the best for me, I’m thinking like putting everything together. Take my time and I’m just looking for the best. I just want to play football, be myself always and enjoy what I do.

“I need to enjoy what I do because otherwise, I cannot perform well. I don’t want to be thinking negative. We can be losing games, losing trophies but you have to be happy where you are and enjoy yourself. That’s what I’m looking for.

“As long as you click first of all with the team, the fans, with the club that knows you and loves you. When you’re free mentally, you enjoy yourself and that’s when you perform. Everyone wants to feel loved, everybody needs that, your soul needs that. It’s always good to feel that the work you do is appreciated.

“People around make a huge difference because they can cheer you up or bring you down.”

Offers for Pogba

The Frenchman once had his heart set on a move to Real Madrid but that dream was crushed when the club made it clear that he was not in their plans. Instead, they have chosen to go for youth this season with their pursuit of AS Monaco midfielder and Pogba’s international teammate Aurelien Tchouameni.

A move to Barcelona has been on the cards since his early days at Man United, but that move is off too. This leaves Juventus, who have wanted to bring him back to the Allianz Stadium for a long time, and PSG, who are looking to sign players to keep Kylian Mbappe happy.

A move to Juventus this summer would see Pogba sign a three-year contract worth €8 million a year after tax with some lucrative bonuses. If PSG convince him, Pogba could sign for four years but the details of the contract are unclear, with some rumours pegging it at £500,000-a-week.