Opinion: What does future hold for Paul Pogba at Man Utd?

The sort of transfer fee that would make Manchester United even twitch when it comes to Pogba remains astronomical for a player who has appeared just twice since the end of September and hasn't actually kicked a ball in the first team for more than three months. Add wages to the package, and if he's looking for an increase on what he's already paid, then we're talking about a financial commitment that very few clubs on earth would be able to come up with, or make a business case for, considering his lack of football in the current campaign. We've seen Manchester United entertain the notion of a swap deal before, though in the case of Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Alexis Sanchez it's had little benefit to anyone, and again any suitor would have to come up with a truly top-class exchange package to tempt Ed Woodward and his recruitment team. You can see how that might work in the case of Pogba, if it delivered a player who might offer more to the first team squad than the Frenchman currently does, but Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will have the final word and, like many United supporters, is probably frustrated that the club's No. Much has been made of the newfound spirit and belief at Manchester United since the home defeat to Burnley on January 22 but pertinently, when you consider the case for Pogba, all of that has been achieved in his absence - and has delivered a new midfield talisman in the shape of Bruno Fernandes. The other side of that debate is whether a fully engaged Pogba with match fitness and few miles on the clock this season could further energise United when football finally returns; that's the first decision Solskjaer faces in this matter.