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Pogba must improve if he wants to stay at Manchester United - Nani

A former Red Devil has questioned whether the Frenchman is fully focused on his duties at Old Trafford

Paul Pogba must improve if he wants to stay at Manchester United, according to Nani.

Pogba has struggled for form and fitness since returning to United from Juventus in 2016, with the 2020-21 campaign proving to be another frustrating one for a man who has yet to live up his £89 million ($125m) price tag.

The World Cup winner, who is currently out of action with a thigh injury, has been heavily linked with a move away from Old Trafford in recent months, and Nani can see him departing if he doesn't knuckle down and prove his worth.

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What's been said?

"At this moment, I see him as one of the important players at Man United," The former United winger, who now plies his trade in MLS with Orlando City, told Stats Perform News.

"But I don't know what he has on his mind, if he wants to leave or if all this news is making some problems in his head.

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"I don't know if he has full concentration on the team, on the games, on the goals of the team.

"I saw him when he was struggling with some injuries and then he came back and started playing, he was improving his performance. He was doing well.

"He was helping the team, but we know Pogba can do much better, he can do much more because he is a top player in this position. He's not using all his strength, all his qualities.

"But if he wants to stay at the club, for sure he will perform much better very soon. He needs to continue to improve his game, his confidence and try to help the team in the way he can."

Who has been linked with Pogba?

Transfer rumours have followed Pogba throughout his second spell in Manchester, with his agent Mino Raiola often doing his best to fuel speculation by speaking out against the Red Devils' treatment of the playmaker in public.

Juventus have been tipped to try and bring Pogba back to the Allianz Stadium in the summer, while a potential move to Real Madrid has also been mooted amid reports that Zinedine Zidane is eager to link up with his compatriot at Santiago Bernabeu.

Pogba's record for United this season

Despite having been laid low with a series of niggling injuries and a bout of coronavirus, Pogba still managed to rack up 28 appearances across all competitions for United in the first half of the campaign.

The 27-year-old has provided four goals and three assists to date, including spectacular winning goals against Fulham and Burnley in the Premier League.

When is he due to return from injury?

Pogba has been absent for United since limping out of a 3-3 draw with Everton on February 6, and no firm date for his return has been given as of yet.

However, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was able to give a positive update on his recovery before his side's 0-0 draw with Crystal Palace in midweek.

Asked if Pogba could feature in any of the Red Devils' next six fixtures, the Norwegian boss told reporters: "I hope we will. Definitely. He’s very positive.

"He’s working really hard and he knows when he gets back, we haven’t got two or three games to give him time to play himself into form, so he's working hard."