Paul Pogba “will be a Manchester United player for a long time”, says Dimitar Berbatov, with too much being read into comments regarding the Frenchman’s admiration of Real Madrid.
The former Red Devils striker says too much is being read into the World Cup-winning midfielder airing his admiration for a leading side in Spain.
A World Cup-winning midfielder recently declared that representing the Blancos is “a dream for anyone”. That statement has been taken as a future transfer hint by many, with it suggested that the 26-year-old is now destined to head for the Santiago Bernabeu.
Pogba is, however, tied to a long-term contract at Old Trafford which is due to keep him in his current surroundings until at least 2021 with that deal including a further 12-month option.
If he continues to perform at the levels he has produced since Ole Gunnar Solskjaer took charge of the Red Devils, then extension talks can expect to be held at some stage.
Berbatov believes Pogba will be sticking around for the foreseeable future, of an £89 million ($117m) asset at the Theatre of Dreams: “Paul Pogba is rarely too far away from the headlines but I’m not concerned about his Real Madrid quotes this week.
“I supported lots of other teams when I played for United because I was a fan of good football. I admired clubs like Real Madrid, Juventus, Bayern Munich. I don’t think there is anything to worry about here. We live in a world where you can say what you want and I can imagine the words being taken out of context.
“Paul will be a United player for a long time, as long as he and the club want to be together. I remember Paul coming to play with the first team, training with us. He was just enjoying being in Manchester and was good friends with the first team and when you’re happy you’re settled.
“He caused a stir in training straightaway. He was tall, athletic, would get the ball from me, intercept it and get on my nerves. I knew I had to take this guy seriously because he had something. You could see from the beginning that he had technical ability, vision of the game, where to position himself and now you can see the result – he is one of the best in the world.”
Pogba has pushed himself back into the group of elite talent at the top of the global game this season. He endured a difficult start to the 2018-19 campaign on the back of a World Cup triumph with his country, but has thrived since being released from the shackles of Jose Mourinho and now has 14 goals and 11 assists to his name across all competitions.