Paul Pogba takes swipe at Man Utd's 'nothing' contract offers on Amazon documentary
Paul Pogba has taken aim at Manchester United's 'nothing' contract offers and said he wants to show
the club they made a ‘mistake’ in not offering the kind of deal he and the late Mino Raiola believed him to be worth.
It is perhaps the takeaway line from the new Pogmentary that will stream on Amazon Prime Video from 17 June, a documentary that, among other things, lifts the lid on the Frenchman’s final few months at United and the decision-making process about his future.
Pogba will officially become a free agent at the end of June, five years after he became the world's most expensive player in an £89m transfer to Old Trafford from Juventus.
Player and club were unable to come to an agreement over a new contract, despite two offers reported to be worth more than his existing £290,000-per-week deal.
What did Pogba say?
“My thought process is to show Manchester that they made a mistake in waiting to give me a contract…and to show other clubs that Manchester had made a mistake in not offering me a contract,” Pogba said in Pogmentary.
At one stage, he was told by Raiola, who died in April after a long illness, “They absolutely want you to stay. For me, the [contract] offer doesn’t reflect that.
“I told them, ‘If you want him to stay, don’t make that offer’. I will make them understand that if they really want you to stay and they want to build a project around you, this time they have to act differently and put the money on the table.”
Pogba’s response was that the club was ‘bluffing’, commenting, “How can you tell a player you absolutely want him and offer him nothing? Never seen that.”
Pogba’s assertion, by proxy, that two offers supposedly worth more than his previous deal are ‘nothing’ is unlikely to make United fans warm to him as he leaves the club for the second time.
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Raiola’s focus on securing a new club was on a number of factors, including what is best for the player, his family and his career, but also economically and with a view to the Pogba brand.
“We must try to make you feel as good as when you are with the French national team. You’re different with them. You understand? You’re another Pogba with the Manchester United team. It’s not normal,” the agent told his client.
“With the France team, you’re the real Pogba, the Pogba of Juventus, the Pogba that everyone loves. With Manchester, there’s something blocking you.”
Raiola told Pogba at one point that Juventus could no longer afford him and informed the player of meetings with Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona. Real Madrid, who were chasing a deal in 2018 and 2019, ultimately decided to spend their money on Aurelien Tchouameni instead.
It is now Juventus who are expected to re-sign Pogba in a landscape with minimal competition.
When is Pogmentary released on Amazon? How can I watch?
Pogmentary is available to stream on June 17, 2022, over a year after the documentary was first announced by producers.
A subscription is required to watch the programme on Amazon and costs £7.99 per month/£79 per year in the UK or $12.99 per month/$119 per year in the US. Free trials are available with terms and conditions.