Manchester United star Paul Pogba expected to stay as Jose Mourinho seeks 'more quality' in the transfer window

Staying put | Mourinho does no expect Pogba to leave in the summer
Nick Potts/PA Wire
Eleanor Crooks10 May 2018

Jose Mourinho expects Paul Pogba to be at Manchester United next season.

The Frenchman's future has been the subject of much speculation, with Paris Saint-Germain the latest to be linked with a summer move.

Mourinho was unequivocal recently when asked about David De Gea's future, saying there was "no chance" the goalkeeper would be leaving. He did not speak with quite the same conviction about Pogba but insisted, at the moment, there are no signs he will leave.

The United boss said: "I think he's going to be here next season. That's my feeling. I can give the guarantee that I don't want him to leave, that the club doesn't want to sell him, and I can give you the guarantee that we don't have any approach from him or his agent or from any club. In this moment, for me, he's staying, yes."

While Mourinho wants to keep Pogba, he revealed there are players within his squad he does not believe are up to United standards but who he accepts will be staying.

As he reflected on how to close the 17-point gap to Manchester City, he said: "Some of the people we have, they have to be more consistent in their performance and we need more quality.

"I trust some more than others that can bridge that gap. Some of the players I am totally convinced are going to make it, some others I have good hopes that they are going to make it, and some others I don't believe they are going to make it.

"Unless there is a perfect squad, where if you buy one goalkeeper you don't like, you buy another one. You buy a central defender you don't like, you buy another one. Unless you can do that, you have to keep players you don't love - when I say love, I say it footballistically - and players you don't totally believe have the level of the squad.

Photo: Reuters
REUTERS

"If you go to the Premier League managers, I don't say every one, but I say the majority of them will tell you the same. In my squad, I have some players where I would like to have better than what I have. That's basic."

United head to the London Stadium to face West Ham on Thursday aiming to put behind them the disappointment of last Friday's loss to Brighton.

The defeat by the Seagulls meant United have lost to all three promoted teams this season as well as relegated West Brom but beaten all their top six rivals.

Mourinho said: "I think it's normal that during the season you have your low moments but in a balanced way. It is not like you always lose against the big teams because you are afraid of them or you always lose against the small teams because you don't respect them.

"If you told me that we lost five matches, and one was against Huddersfield, and one was against Manchester City and one was against Leicester City, and you lose in different circumstances, I say that's football, that's human beings playing football. But when you lose against all the teams that were promoted, that's not right."

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