Paul Pogba is likely to stay at Manchester United due to coronavirus implications on the transfer market, says Mark Bosnich, with the Frenchman set to make the Red Devils “a real force” alongside Bruno Fernandes.
Questions have been asked of the World Cup-winning midfielder’s future at Old Trafford for some time now. With Pogba suffering form and fitness issues in 2019-20, along with doubts over his ongoing commitment to the cause, a move elsewhere has been mooted.
Juventus and Real Madrid would both welcome the opportunity to add a proven performer to their respective squads, but big-money deals are expected to be in short supply during the next window. That, along with United’s reluctance to part with an £89 million ($111m) asset, is expected to keep Pogba in his current surroundings.
Bosnich feels that could end up benefitting all concerned, with the form of Fernandes since his arrival in England suggesting that a fearsome partnership in the engine room can be struck up.
The former United goalkeeper told Sky Sports: “Forget about football, every industry in the world is going to take a hit, and has taken a hit and will continue to take a hit. Football will be no different whatsoever when it comes to that.
“When it comes to when transfers will be allowed, how far these contracts will be allowed to go, those chips – metaphorically – are in the air. They will come down, especially in the short-term, and whether they get back up to that level again, one doesn’t know.
“In terms of Paul Pogba, I’ve said in the past that I’d like to see him stay.
“Especially now with Fernandes doing so well, linking up with Pogba in midfield and Pogba being at his best, Manchester United will be a real force. I think you can see that quite clearly.
“Like I said, we all have to see when this is all over how things are going to stand and what’s going to happen. For the time being, people are going to have to start thinking outside the box until things get back to normal, and it’s going to take a while.”
Bosnich believes swap deals could become the norm in the immediate future, which could present Pogba with another route out of Old Trafford, but the 27-year-old has expressed a desire to get back to his best with United and silence any doubters.