“He is a top-class player who should never be leaving” – Kevin Campbell makes bold claim on Manchester United star who ‘gets scapegoated’
Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba has been scapegoated by the club, according to Kevin Campbell.
The former Arsenal and Everton striker believes the club have handled the 29-year-old appallingly, as he is set to leave Old Trafford this summer on a free transfer.
Pogba's departure looks inevitable as he went off injured early in the Red Devils' 4-0 defeat to Liverpool on Tuesday. This was just days after being booed off the pitch by his own fans against Norwich.
Fair play to Pogba, he could see the writing on the wall and got off that pitch as quickly as possible.
Sky Sports reports that the World Cup winner was 'hurt' by the reaction at Old Trafford. Campbell believes the situation is indicative of how the club has been run over the past few years. He told Football Insider:
“He gets scapegoated, of course, he does. People give out stick for all sorts of reasons. The fact of the matter is, Manchester United have not been themselves for years now. The club Pogba thought he joined is not there anymore. People don’t tell you that but that is the truth. The Man United that people remember isn’t there."
“Their season has gone from bad to worse. If people want to boo, boo. The reality is, he is a top-class player who should never be leaving United because they should be up there challenging. His contract has been run down because the club is not being run right. You’re telling me you’ve got a world-class midfielder not performing? Something is not right.”
That could be the last time we see Paul Pogba in a Manchester United shirt https://t.co/RMFbsLWeV2
Has Pogba been a disappointment at Manchester United?
Having left Old Trafford in 2012 to join Juventus, Pogba returned to the Red Devils four years later for a then-world-record fee of £94 million, as per Transfermarkt.
Pogba is still United's most expensive signing of all time. He has since played 226 games for the three-time European champions, scoring 39 goals.
The Frenchman flew out of the traps at the start of the current campaign as he provided four assists in the opening day victory over rivals Leeds United. However, he has struggled to live up to those heights, scoring just once and creating five more assists in his 27 games this season.
The imposing midfielder has only started 48% of United's top-flight games during the campaign. Sky Sports have reported that European superclubs Real Madrid and Juventus are interested in signing Pogba on a free transfer once the player's contract expires at Old Trafford in June.
Paul Pogba destroying his haters😂 https://t.co/JIjO2BpikT