Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba was unhappy with the club’s decision to trigger a one-year extension clause in his contract last month, according to Metro.co.uk.
The Frenchman would have been free to sign a pre-contract agreement with overseas clubs from January 1st, before they took up the option of extending his deal.
United have had plenty of time to activate the clause but Pogba and his agent believed that they would sit down with the club to discuss a new deal before the extension was activated.
Pogba has been heavily linked with an exit since rejoining the team in 2016 but he appeared rejuvenated after returning from injury in July and his representatives had intimated that he was ready to sign a new deal.
Pogba spoke to the press after wins against Aston Villa and Sheffield last campaign to express his happiness, while Mino Raiola said in August that contract talks would soon begin with United.
But any attempt from Pogba and his team to ‘bounce’ the Red devils into contract talks have so far failed and the United’s decision to trigger the extension was met with surprise.
While United are within their rights to do so, they were also desperate for David De Gea to sign a new contract in 2018 and held off from triggering his extension in order for talks to progress naturally.
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Pogba had been set on leaving United in 2018 and again in 2019, only to be denied an exit by the club’s executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward.
It has not gone unnoticed by the club that Pogba’s stance on staying has only swung in their favour since the coronavirus crisis closed off his possible escape routes.
However, the financial constraints which have blocked Pogba’s exit away from the club have also prevented contract talks from progressing with Manchester United.
He earns around £260,000-per-week at United and the club announced a £70m drop in expected revenue in October as a result of the pandemic.
With Pogba’s representatives demanding a pay-rise, the club want to avoid being railroaded into a large financial investment, particularly when the player’s options appear limited in the transfer market.
