Paul Pogba signalled to Manchester United that he wanted to sign a new contract in the summer of 2020, but the club triggered an extension clause in his existing deal instead which left him 'feeling deflated' about his future at the club.
After many years of speculation, it was finally announced on Wednesday that Pogba would be leaving Old Trafford this summer on a free transfer.
He departs United having made over 200 appearances, though he has received criticism for not reaching the heights expected of him when he returned to the club in a then-world record £89.3m deal from Juventus in 2016.
However, according to The Athletic, Pogba had been keen to extend his spell with the Red Devils beyond the end of this season at one stage.
Back in 2020, the Frenchman is said to have sent text messages to then-manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer requesting a new contract. The Norwegian vowed to ask the board about this, but in the end the club just ended up triggering the extension clause instead.
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These events left the midfielder 'feeling deflated' and this played a role in his decision to wait before resuming talks over his future. Pogba eventually ended up rejecting the chance to remain at United and now looks likely to return to Juventus this summer.
As reported by 90min on Wednesday, the Bianconeri are 'confident' that they have agreed a deal to bring the 29-year-old back to Turin. He is likely to be joined at the Allianz Stadium by fellow former Man Utd player Angel Di Maria, who is set to leave Paris Saint-Germain.
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Source : 90min