A quiet transfer window at Old Trafford is set to play into the hands of Paul Pogba and Manchester United, says Mikael Silvestre, with a “world-class” midfielder needing a period of calm after seeing “almost everything” said about his future.
A big-money move for a World Cup-winning midfielder has been mooted for some time.
Given the criticism Pogba has faced for his actions on and off the field since returning to England in 2016, exit talk has come as no real surprise.
His agent has kept that rumour mill churning, with Mino Raiola claiming that the France international’s time in the Premier League is “over”.
Pogba has, however, stated his full commitment to the United cause and enjoyed a welcome return to form in a season that has Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side back in title contention.
The financial impact of a coronavirus pandemic is making it difficult to see a way out of Manchester for the 27-year-old, with few teams in a position to spend, and that is helping to narrow focus.
Silvestre admits as much, with the former United defender telling Ladbrokes of a fellow countryman: “When Paul Pogba is giving his best and he’s on top of his game, he’s a key part of things and can add so much to the team. He has world-class qualities. We’d just like to see more consistency and he knows that.
“In terms of how the recent situation has been managed, I think both parties have done very well. They’ve made sure the most important thing is what Paul does on the pitch. He’s always growing as a player and he’s giving everything for United.
“It’s a very quiet transfer market due to the pandemic and in a way it’s benefitting the situation around Paul’s future. Almost everything has been said about his future, whether he stays or goes, so a quiet transfer window as far as rumours are concerned can only be a good thing for Manchester United and Pogba.
“Before strengthening, clearly Man Utd have to make room for players. You can only select 25 players so the main concern for United is to see which players are title-winning players and which ones are not. That’s where the club should be concentrating. Then you can start to think about bringing in new faces.
“They’ve brought in some young players so, if they’re up to the task, you have to start making room for them in the squad.”
As the speculation surrounding Pogba begins to fade, questions are also no longer being asked of Solskjaer’s position.
Silvestre is pleased to see the Norwegian silencing his doubters, but claims the 1999 Treble winner will never have read too much into suggestions that his position was under threat.
“There have always been managers linked with the Manchester United job since Solskjaer took over. Before Mauricio Pochettino it was Max Allegri,” Silvestre added.
“Every time there’s a high-profile manager out of a job his name will be linked with Manchester United because of the size of the club. That’s how it is. I don’t think it will bother Ole.
“The staff know the environment and they’ve been trusted since the beginning. I don’t think it’s disturbing internally. That kind of thing will always happen at a club like Manchester United with fans and media speculating, but I don’t think anyone inside the club reads too much into it.”