Pogba branded ‘top level’ by Deschamps amid Man Utd exit rumours

James Shearman

• Updated: 17 May 2021 22:11 BST
• 2 min read

Paul Pogba has received the backing of France boss Didier Deschamps amid rumours that he could leave Manchester United.

Pogba has undergone a difficult spell at Old Trafford since his return to the club from Italian giants Juventus for a then-world record fee of £89.3m (€105m) in 2016.

His performances and behaviour have regularly been the subject of scrutiny, while recent injury problems have served only to magnify criticism of his displays.

Indeed, the 27-year-old has been out of favour in recent weeks, with the likes of Fred and Scott McTominay favoured over the Frenchman.

This has led to speculation over his future, with talk of a move to Real Madrid or a return to Juventus mooted.

But France manager Didier Deschamps hopes there is still a place for Pogba in the Manchester United team after standout performances on international duty.

The midfielder helped France qualify for the Nations League Finals with wins over Portugal and Sweden, despite a lack of match fitness.

Deschamps on Pogba

“Just see what he was able to do in Portugal and what he did tonight,” Deschamps said in his press conference after Tuesday’s 4-2 win over Sweden.

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“I know him, I know how he works. He has pride and above all he has talent. When you have to defend, he can defend. When he has the opportunity to express himself, he is able to do so.

“Paul is a top-level player and I hope what he did with us will be useful to him when he gets back to his club.”

While Pogba faces plenty of criticism in Manchester, Juventus director Fabio Paratici made headlines recently when he admitted that Juve still care about Pogba.

“Right now, Pogba is a Manchester United player and it is far too early to think about future transfer targets,” Paratici told Sky Sport Italia.

“We all care for Pogba here, one of many ex-players who gave Juve so much, but it’s too early to talk about future objectives.

“We are concentrated on constructing this team for this season, that is where our focus lies.”