It started with a hashtag. #Pogback. Remember that?
The summer of 2016 felt like a fever dream for United fans. Manchester United paid a then-world record fee of €105 million (£89.3 million) to bring a 23-year-old Paul Pogba back from Juventus. It was supposed to be the homecoming of the decade. The prodigal son returning to claim the throne Sir Alex Ferguson supposedly denied him.
But six years later, he walked away for free. Again.
How does a player with that much raw talent—a guy who could ping a 60-yard ball like he was throwing a pebble into a pond—leave such a confusing legacy? If you ask five different United fans about Paul Pogba in Manchester United, you’ll get six different angry answers.
The Myth vs. The Reality of the Stats
People love to say Pogba was a "flop." Honestly? The numbers don’t really back that up as a total failure.
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Over 233 appearances, he bagged 39 goals and 51 assists. For a midfielder who was constantly shuffled between a "six," an "eight," and occasionally a weird hybrid left-winger role, those aren't "flop" numbers. In his best season (2018/19), he hit 16 goals. He made the PFA Team of the Year that year. He was literally the only non-City or Liverpool player in that lineup.
But here’s the kicker: the "with or without" stats are messy. United’s win percentage with Pogba hovered around 54%, but without him, it actually stayed remarkably similar—sometimes even ticking higher because the team played a more "disciplined" (if boring) style.
He was a player of moments, not necessarily of systems.
The Mourinho Wars and the "Virus" Label
You can't talk about his time at Old Trafford without mentioning the fallout with Jose Mourinho. It was toxic.
It started with smiles and a League Cup and Europa League double in 2017. Then came the training ground footage from Sky Sports—you know the one, where they’re staring each other down like they're in a Western.
Mourinho reportedly called him a "virus" in front of the team. He felt Pogba’s lifestyle and his agent, the late Mino Raiola, were distractions. On the flip side, Pogba felt handcuffed by Mourinho’s defensive tactics.
Why the France version was different
Everyone asks: "Why was he a world-beater for France and just 'okay' for United?"
- The Kante Factor: At the 2018 World Cup, Pogba had N'Golo Kante doing the work of three men behind him.
- Defined Role: Didier Deschamps told him exactly what to do.
- At United: He was often paired with Nemanja Matic (who was slowing down) or the "McFred" duo (McTominay and Fred). He was expected to be the creator, the tackler, and the leader all at once.
It’s like buying a Ferrari and then getting mad because it can't haul a trailer of bricks. United never really figured out what they wanted him to be.
The Turning Points That Broke the Relationship
There were flashes of what could have been. That 2018 Manchester Derby at the Etihad? United were 2-0 down. City fans were already celebrating the title. Pogba scored twice in two minutes to ruin their party. That was the "King" everyone expected.
But then came the injuries.
His final few seasons were a cycle of:
- Come back from injury.
- Have one "World Class" game (like the four assists against Leeds in 2021).
- Get a "niggling" calf or ankle injury.
- Rinse and repeat.
By the time Ralf Rangnick took over as interim boss, the writing was on the wall. Pogba’s last game was a 4-0 drubbing by Liverpool at Anfield. He went off injured after just 10 minutes. It was a whimpering end to a billion-dollar story.
What Most People Get Wrong
The biggest misconception is that he didn't care.
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Teammates like Bruno Fernandes and Luke Shaw often spoke about how hard he worked in training. The "lazy" narrative mostly came from his body language—he’s a big guy with a languid stride. When he loses the ball, it looks worse than when a smaller player loses it.
Also, the "influencer" stuff. Yeah, he had the haircuts and the emojis. But in 2026, we see that every player does that now. He was just the first one to do it while the team was losing, which made him an easy target for old-school pundits like Graeme Souness.
Looking Back: Was It a Success?
If you measure success in trophies, he won more at United than most players have in the last decade (a League Cup and a Europa League). If you measure it by "value for money," it was a disaster.
United spent nearly £90 million and let him leave for nothing. That is a failure of club management as much as it is a failure of the player.
Actionable Takeaways from the Pogba Era
- System Over Stars: You can't drop a "luxury" player into a broken system and expect him to fix it.
- Role Clarity: If you're a coach, don't buy a creative engine and ask him to play as a defensive shield.
- Injury Management: Pogba's decline shows how "minor" ankle issues can derail a career if not handled with long-term rest.
The Paul Pogba era at Manchester United remains a cautionary tale of what happens when a club has a massive budget but no actual plan. He wasn't the "virus," but he wasn't the cure either. He was just a very talented, very expensive square peg in a very round hole.
To understand why the move failed, you have to look at the lack of a consistent defensive partner for him between 2016 and 2022. Without a dedicated "destroyer" behind him, his defensive lapses were magnified, leading to the tactical inconsistency that defined his second stint in England.
Next Steps for Deep Context:
- Compare Pogba's 2018/19 heatmap with his Juventus 2015/16 heatmap to see the positional shift.
- Review the contract expiry timelines of Manchester United's midfield from 2016 to 2022 to understand the lack of stability.
- Analyze the financial impact of the "Free - Record Fee - Free" cycle on United's FFP standing during that period.