Manchester United players sent Paul Pogba WhatsApp voice notes of Jose Mourinho hanging the player out to dry in a brutal betrayal at the club’s training base back in 2018, it has been claimed.
Pogba returned for a second spell at Old Trafford in a club-record £89m deal that was signed off by Mourinho back in the summer of 2016, but the midfielder has struggled to live up to expectations at the club.
After months of speculation, United confirmed on Wednesday that the flop was set to leave the club for nothing again this summer – over a decade after he first walked out on the Rex devils as a youngster.
After Pogba’s departure was confirmed by the player and United, a new report from The Athletic has claimed some inside details on one of the many major events that plagued Pogba during his underwhelming second spell in the Premier League.
The incident in question related to his fallout with Mourinho back in Autumn 2018, when the ex- Chelsea and Real Madrid manager decided that the player – who was United’s ‘second captain’ – would no longer be considered as a deputy for Antonio Valencia.
After ordering Pogba – who was injured – to stay away from Carrington, Mourinho is said to have ‘strategically positioned’ the midfielder as someone who wanted to leave the club.
Referring to Pogba, Mourinho is reported to have told the United squad: “Remember who I am. Ask the Chelsea boys — Nemanja [Matic], Juan [Mata] — they know the real me. Players cannot be captain when they want to leave.”
But unbeknown to Mourinho, the Frenchman was kept in the loop by some of his United team-mates, who shared details of the betrayal on WhatsApp. Pogba was later informed that he would no longer be considered for the club’s captaincy in a meeting with his team-mates.
The bust-up between the duo bubbled away until Mourinho was given the boot in December 2018, but Pogba’s fortunes didn’t improve under the Portuguese’s successor, Solskjaer.
Speculation over Pogba’s future has been rampant in recent months, with some top European teams courting the midfielder as his United contract ran down. Juventus are the favourites to re-sign the midfielder, who penned a farewell message to fans on his Instagram account.
Pogba wrote on Instagram: “I feel privileged to have played for this club. Many beautiful moments and memories but most importantly an unconditional support from the fans. Thank you Manchester United.”
