Ralf Rangnick has admitted Paul Pogba could use the final few months of the campaign as a springboard to help him leave Manchester United.
The France international’s contract with United expires at the end of the season and he looks on course to leave Old Trafford on a free transfer in the summer.
The 28-year-old has been targeted by Paris Saint-Germain, Juventus and Real Madrid, and Rangnick says that the midfielder may be out to impress rival teams in his remaining performances for the Red devils.
When asked if there is any point in playing Pogba if he wants to leave the club, Rangnick replied: ‘Yes, of course. I also played Nemanja Matic in the last games, and his contract is also expiring.
‘By the way, my contract as the manager is also expiring in the summer, so for us we have the same goal. We have the same ambition to be as successful as we can possibly be in the next three or four months.
‘For me, it’s not a question if a player has an expiring contract. The question is… how much does he still want to be part of this group? How much does he still feel emotionally and physically on board?
‘As long as this is the case, why should Paul Pogba, now, after two and a half months of injury, being fully fit again [not play]?
‘He wants to show the fans of Manchester United, the board, the whole world, what kind of player he can be. Even if it’s for only showing up for a new contract elsewhere, he will be highly motivated to do that, so why should I then not play him?
‘But as I said, there is a difference of: how do players deal with their current situation? How do they handle that?
‘If they handle that in a professional way, in an ambitious way, of course I can and will play players, although they have a contract expiring in the summer.’
