‘How can you tell a player you absolutely want him and offer him nothing?’
Outgoing Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba can be seen hitting out at a contract offer from the Premier League club in his soon-to-be-released Amazon Prime documentary, describing a deal worth more than £290,000 a week as “nothing”.
For the second time in his career, Pogba will leave United on a free when his contract expires at the end of the month. He is widely expected to rejoin Juventus.
‘The Pogmentary’ is due to be released on June 17.
His departure coincides with the release of The Pogmentary – no, that’s really what it’s called – which offers a detailed look into his time at United and with the French national team, as well as reflections on his first spell in Turin.
Speaking about his future and his imminent exit from Old Trafford, Pogba says: “My thought process is to show Manchester (United) that they made a mistake in waiting to give me a contract.
“And to show other clubs that Manchester had made a mistake in not offering me a contract.”
The claims that United “waited” to offer him a new deal will come as a surprise to many, with United widely reported to have offered Pogba new terms – which would have improved his wage of £290,000-a-week – at least twice.
Pogba was told of a new offer from United by Mino Raiola
The documentary, seen by The Athletic ahead of its official release, also features footage of Pogba holidaying in Miami in July 2021 when he receives word of a new proposal from United.
Speaking on the phone to his agent, the late Mino Raiola, Pogba asks: “Did Manchester [United] make a second offer?”
“Yes. They absolutely want you to stay,” Raiola replies. “For me, the offer doesn’t reflect that. I told them, ‘If you want him to stay, don’t make that offer’. I will make them understand that if they really want you to stay and they want to build a project around you, this time they have to act differently and put the money on the table.”
“They’re bluffing,” Pogba replies. “How can you tell a player you absolutely want him and offer him nothing? Never seen that.”
The Pogmentary is set for release on Amazon Prime on Friday, when Pogba is expected to confirm where he will be playing his football next season.
