Solskjaer must tell Pogba 'you can go' to Real Madrid in stunning Man Utd deal - Groves

Posted Sunday, March 31, 2019 by Express.co.uk

Solskjaer must tell Pogba 'you can go' to Real Madrid in stunning Man Utd deal - Groves
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has been told to sell Paul Pogba if he still wants to play for Real Madrid (Image: TALKSPORT/GETTY)

MANCHESTER UNITED boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer must tell Paul Pogba he can go to Real Madrid if he wants, according to former Arsenal winger Perry Groves.

Pogba fuelled speculation over his future while on international duty with France.

The midfielder claimed it was a dream for any player to play for Real Madrid and under their manager Zinedine Zidane.

But Groves does not think Pogba should be “touting” himself out to other teams like he did, especially when he plays for a club the size of United.

He believes Ole Gunnar Solskjaer must talk to Pogba at the end of the season and sell him if the 26-year-old’s intentions of joining Real remain true.

“There’s one thing Solskjaer has got to do, from being the supply teacher and you’re everybody’s mate and everybody’s been happy,” Groves said on talkSPORT.

“Some of his tactical stuff has been very good, but there was such doom and gloom under [Jose] Mourinho, that was not going to be that difficult.

“And one reason why there was a lot of doom and gloom is because Mourinho tried to take on Paul Pogba, there was a big personality clash there wasn’t there.

“Now he’s the big boys’ manager, he’s got a big decision to make with Paul Pogba.

“Two weeks ago on international duty, it wasn’t lost in translation, he actually said that he’s ‘always dreamed’ of playing for Real Madrid and has ‘dreamed’ of playing for Zinedine Zidane.

“I don’t think a Manchester United player should be touting themselves out to one of their main rivals.

“If it was an Everton player or a Spurs player, who Real Madrid are a bigger club than, you can half sort of understand it.

“But Man United are on the same level, I think we’re all agree, in world football as Real Madrid.

“So if Solskjaer has got anything about him, not now because obviously the season’s going quite nicely, at the end of the season he should pull him in and say: ‘I need a statement from you that you are fully committed to Manchester United. I don’t want to hear anything from your agent or your brothers about wanting to play for Real Madrid, because if you’re telling me now you do, you can go. I’m not going to stand in your way. For £125million we can get two other top players, it’s not a problem’.

“Solskjaer has said he wants his team playing with togetherness, work-rate and attitude, hardest working in the league and the fittest.”

Pogba’s goals and assists have risen dramatically since Solskjaer replaced the sacked Mourinho in December, but Groves still thinks there is more to come from him.

The pundit added: “Pogba has got better since Solskjaer has been there but I’ve watched him in games and, for the talent he has, he doesn’t grab the game by the scruff of the neck, he doesn’t dominate everybody around him and he doesn’t put that work rate in week after week, game after game.

“So if Solskjaer has got anything about him, he should send a message out to anybody else at Manchester United and say: ‘If you want to leave this club, it’s not a problem, you can go. I won’t stand in your way’.

“The days of Solskjaer being everybody’s friend, of smiling, laughing and joking, they’ve gone.”