'Hunger and appetite' - Ole Gunnar Solskjaer defends Paul Pogba ahead of Manchester United's derby clash with City

French World Cup winner's agent said his player would leave Old Trafford

Manchester United's Paul Pogba has been defended by manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. Reuters

Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has come to the defence of midfielder Paul Pogba amid fresh speculation about his future at Old Trafford.

The 27-year-old has done little to extinguish talk about a transfer away from the north west and publicly expressed his openness to a move in June 2019.

Pogba's agent Mino Raiola has repeatedly stoked the fire and, to the anger of the club, spoke in an interview on the eve of the crunch Champions League clash at RB Leipzig last week about his client's unhappiness.

Raiola claimed the French World Cup winner would not sign a new deal beyond 2022, leading Solskjaer to say after the costly 3-2 loss in Germany that he hoped the agent realised football is about teams rather than individuals.

Pogba scored a deflected effort in a positive display off the bench at Leipzig and will be in the squad for Saturday's derby clash with Manchester City.

"I think I said during the week, of course, that this is a team game and Paul is part of this team," Solskjaer said.

"He's very focused on contributing when he's here. He's got the hunger and appetite to play, and he wants to play. He wants to train, he trains.

"There's been other players that's been refusing to train, refusing to play - and they're not here any more, of course. But Paul's not once done that.

"He's just focused on performing when he gets a chance and that's the good thing about Paul, that he's got the quality but he's also got the desire to do well when he comes on, like he did against Leipzig.

"He did have a positive impact so, yeah, the short answer to your question is he's part of the squad for tomorrow."

Where could Pogba go?

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  REAL MADRID: The logical club to start with. Pogba has in the past made some not-so-subtle overtures to Real Madrid, whose manager Zinedine Zidane remains a big fan of the midfielder. From a football perspective, this is a move that would make sense, provided Pogba replicates his best form. Madrid are in need of fresh impetus in central midfield, with a successor required for 35-year-old playmaker Luka Modric. As with every club on this list, the finances of a deal would be a hurdle but perhaps not insurmountable if Zidane can move on some unwanted players, including the on-loan Gareth Bale, whom Madrid still pay half of his gigantic wages. Reuters

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  PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN: One of the few clubs who could still afford to take on the financial burden of signing Pogba, PSG could be interested in taking the midfielder back to France. As the biggest club in France, and Pogba being a key player for the national team, it would be a move that theoretically makes sense. A top-of-his game Pogba would improve the PSG midfield. EPA

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  BARCELONA: Not too long ago, Barcelona looked set to make a move for Pogba as they began to build for a future without the mesmeric duo of Xavi and Andres Iniesta. Instead, the club went in a different direction and Pogba moved back to United. What could have been is anyone’s guess but maybe Barca will get another shot at signing the midfielder. The Catalans are in desperate need of an overhaul, but the finances of a potential deal could end their pursuit before it even starts. Much could depend on the future of Lionel Messi and if the Argentine star gets his wish to leave, that should free up a chunk of the budget. AP Photo

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  JUVENTUS: In among his ill-timed ramblings on Monday, Raiola stated that Pogba “can come back to Juventus”. Whether there is some truth and genuine interest there, or it was typical sales talk from an agent, there is no denying that Turin was where Pogba reached his best level. Juventus, who have not been afraid to splash the cash in recent years, have also tightened their purse strings since the pandemic, so any move for Pogba would likely only take place if players leave first. The biggest earner by a considerable distance is Cristiano Ronaldo – but would Juve move the Portuguese star on for Pogba? Getty Images

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  INTER MILAN: The manager who oversaw Pogba’s finest form at Juventus is now at Inter Milan and Antonio Conte would surely jump at the chance to reunite with the Frenchman. There has been plenty of speculation this year that Inter are keen to take Pogba to the San Siro, and backed by Chinese billionaire owners, the club could have the finances to pull off a deal. With Danish playmaker Christian Eriksen destined for a January exit (maybe to Manchester United?) it would free up a squad space and additional money. Reuters

Solskjaer has worked to change the culture within the United dressing room since succeeding Jose Mourinho in December 2018, when the 1999 treble hero made a shock return to his former club initially as caretaker boss.

Handed the reins on a permanent basis the following March, things have rarely stayed smooth for long and the Norwegian is under pressure once again following United's embarrassing Champions League exit.

"There's always pressure on you when you manage Man United," Solskjaer said. "That's something I had to think about when I accepted the role.

"Do I have what it takes to be in such a situation? Can you handle setbacks? Can you handle success? And I think I can. I think I can in a good way.

"I've got great staff around me, fantastic staff, that I use as sparring partners for discussions, even the conversation with the club it goes on all the time.

"It's a continuous open dialogue and when you come to work the next day or you have a day off, you see the players and the quality you have and you want to work with them."