Solskjaer tells Paul Pogba ‘nobody is bigger than Man Utd’ after Raiola’s transfer comments
Posted Sunday, December 20, 2020 by Thesun.co.uk
PAUL POGBA is being warned he must toe the line — or face the boot.
The French star was given the stark reminder by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as the war of words with his agent Mino Raiola rumbles on.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has laid down the law to Paul Pogba
The Old Trafford boss, who yesterday completed two years in charge, vowed: “I would just not stand for anyone thinking that he is bigger than Manchester United.
“No one is. Absolutely no one — and Paul knows this. It is not only for Paul. It is for all of us.”
His straight–talking stance is as much of an attack on controversial Raiola as a move to show the World Cup winner who is in charge.
Raiola infuriated Solskjaer the day before United crashed out of the Champions League to RB Leipzig earlier this month by claiming it was time Pogba left the club.
He followed that up by declaring: “I’ve said that Paul can leave in the summer because it’s hard to do deals in January.”
French midfielder Pogba’s £300,000-a-week contract expires in just 18 months.
But Solskjaer, whose side host Leeds today, has continued to talk him up, despite his posturing for a move back to Juventus or to Real Madrid.
And the United chief added: “Paul was here as a kid in the Under-18s. We signed him early on and he comes with the Manchester United DNA in him.
“He knows what we are about. United is about being in a team and Paul has always been an ambitious boy who loves playing football.
“He trains well, he never refuses to train or play, he has a good attitude.
"Of course, Paul wants to do as well as he can when he is in the team, however many minutes he is getting on the pitch.”
After last Saturday’s goalless Manchester derby, Pogba took to social media to hit out at the stick he was getting for Raiola’s comments.
He wrote: “I’ve always fought and will always fight for  Manchester United, my team-mates and the fans.
“All has been clear between the club and myself and that will never change.
'I WANT PLAYERS WHO CAN HANDLE LIFE'
“When you don’t know what’s going on inside, don’t talk.”
But having backed their club-record £89million star consistently since he replaced Jose Mourinho two Christmases ago, Solskjaer is determined that Pogba will stay on.
And the Red Devils chief now hopes to get that message through to the French World Cup winner’s super agent Raiola.
As he prepared for today’s visit of Leeds, Solskjaer added: “I leave negotiations with agents to the club.
“In fact, I rarely speak to agents. I speak to the players — and that is the biggest thing for me.
“I need to see them eye to eye and I think it is important, the relationship between player and manager.
“I want players who can handle life as well. You can’t just go through agents.”
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