Man Utd risk upsetting dressing room again amid Paul Pogba contract dilemma

Manchester United risk upsetting the rest of the dressing room again if they bow to Paul Pogba's contract demands.

The club are in ongoing negotiations with the Frenchman's agent Mino Raiola as they work to try and resolve the current standoff.

Pogba has already entered the final 12 months of his deal at Old Trafford and will be free to leave for nothing in 2022.

United chiefs are now desperate to reach an agreement with the 28-year-old, but Pogba has already turned down one offer of an extension.

It has put the club in a difficult position, as they will likely have to make Pogba their top earner if they want to keep him beyond next summer.

And that is something United are wary of, given their feelings about the mega-money deal they handed to David de Gea two years ago.

According toThe Athletic , figures inside United have 'regretted' De Gea's contract ever since he was awarded with a five-year extension worth £375,000-per-week.

The Spanish goalkeeper's huge loss of form has been a particular irk, but moreover, it is the 'wage inequality' the deal brought to the United dressing room which has left club chiefs concerned about a repeat.

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Pogba is already the second highest-paid player at the club on a mammoth £290,000-per-week – yet the jury is still out as to whether his second spell with United could be considered a success.

Awarding him a new bumper contract would likely lead some of his teammates to push for improved deals of their own.

But United do not exactly have many other options.

It would be a bitter blow for Pogba to move on for a second time without United receiving a transfer fee in return.

There is interest from other clubs, namely Paris Saint-Germain, while Real Madrid and Juventus are long-term admirers, yet the current market has left Europe's elite counting their pennies – for now at least.

As much as lowering their asking price for Pogba could bring suitors to the table, Raiola knows his client can earn a bigger package if he sits out the remainder of his contract and leave on a free next year.

Alternatively, United may feel keeping hold of the star midfielder for another season could be worth the expense in the long run if he is able to help them land a major trophy this season, even if it is as a parting gif

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer still feels confident that Pogba will pen a new deal, though.

Speaking at the weekend, the United boss said: "There’s always speculation about Paul and there’s always clubs being interested.

“The talks are ongoing between Paul's representatives and the club representatives. All the dialogue I've had with Paul is he's looking forward to the season.”

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