If you ever needed a portent of how the footballing world has become a Mecca for the mercenary, here it is. Paul Pogba, the young French midfielder, has reportedly signed a pre-contract agreement with Juventus. The prodigious but inexperienced midfielder has done his time at Old Trafford and decided to take the fast buck in Italy.
If he was Italian you could understand the move. If he was at a small club you could understand the move. If he was 25 and not getting a game you could understand the move. But Pogba seems to have moved to an arguably smaller club, purely because of money. Juventus of course have a great tradition but most would agree that Manchester United are currently better placed in European football to contest the biggest honours.
Perhaps this is harsh. Perhaps in his position many people would have gone for the sort of pay hike which he wasn’t being offered at Old Trafford. Perhaps we are silly to think that a Frenchman would have any reason to be loyal to an English club. Perhaps Italy is just a much nicer, warmer place. Perhaps United have got what they deserved, after attracting the player from Le Havre in an acrimonious, financially driven manner in the first place.
When viewed from a broad perspective there are more questions than answers here – the opening of a monumentally large can of worms. But, in my opinion, it shows how football has bred a generation of players who are loyal only to money. If Pogba was interested solely in being the best player he could, then surely Old Trafford was the right place for him. With a top coach and the midfield births aching for new blood it was only a matter of time before 70 odd thousand fans were chanting his name on a regular basis. He certainly had the talent to succeed at United and showed great potential in his few cameo performances for the first team.
Time will tell what happens to Pogba. We may well see him make a big money move back to the Premier League in a few years. But, either way, the beautiful game seems ever less beautiful.
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Clement
Aug 20, 2012 at 7:11 am
Leave the boy alone, you Man United supporters! Let him enjoy his time at Juventus.