The Sun Newspaper

FED-UP Manchester United chiefs want Paul Pogba out of the club in the January transfer window.
His agent’s disgracefully-timed statement on the eve of United’s crucial Champions League clash with RB Leipzig was the final straw.

Man Utd chiefs are ready to part ways with Paul Pogba in JanuaryCredit: Rex Features

Mino Raiola’s latest outburst was the final straw for Old Trafford top brassCredit: Getty – Contributor

Mino Raiola destabilised boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s preparations — and they lost 3-2 to crash out of the competition.
Raiola told an Italian sports website that Pogba’s time at Old Trafford was over, that he was not happy and should be sold.
United had flat out refused to be bullied by Raiola, who has been an irritant during Pogba’s second spell at the club.
But now the Red Devils top brass are ready to accept defeat and let their £89million club-record signing go.

They want their money back but may have to drop the asking price as low as £50m to find a buyer for the French World Cup winner.
Pogba, 27, favours a return to Juventus. The Italian giants would welcome back their four-time Serie A winner — but it is whether they have the cash.
United could have sold the midfielder to Real Madrid in the summer of 2019 but their £180m fee was never going to be met by the Spaniards and the chance was gone.
Having got rid of Romelu Lukaku and Alexis Sanchez back then, Solskjaer was prepared to let Pogba go too — as long as he got the money to reinvest in his squad.

Man Utd’s biggest transfers ever, both in and out, including Ronaldo

Now Pogba has become an unwanted sideshow that is starting to affect the Norwegian’s running of the team.
He  probably cost Jose Mourinho his job when the former United manager axed Pogba from the team and stripped him of the vice-captaincy.
The club’s sympathies at the time were with Pogba, believing Mourinho was having a meltdown.
Looking back now, the board might  revise their thoughts on that.

Solskjaer left the France star out of the starting XI  against Leipzig on Tuesday but brought him on 16 minutes into the second half with United 2-0 down.
He scored a header to cut Leipzig’s lead to 3-2 — and almost forced an own goal with a late cross that would have seen United scrape through.
But his form has been poor in general and he  is unlikely to win back  his place for Saturday’s Manchester derby.
⚽ Read our Man United live blog for the latest news from Old Trafford

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer speaks about Paul Pogba transfer rumours after Man Utd’s Champions League exit at Leipzig More

ARSENAL boss Mikel Arteta is keeping tabs on young defender Eric Garcia’s situation at his former club Manchester City.
The Spanish international turned down a new contract at the Etihad in the summer because he wants to return to Barcelona.

Arsenal are chasing a deal for Man City contract rebel and Barcelona target Eric GarciaCredit: AP:Associated Press

However the Nou Camp giants have little spare cash to play with after being floored by the Coronavirus pandemic.
They failed to raise the £13.5 million needed to sign Garcia in the summer window and may struggle to do so again in January.
Barca know he will be a free agent in the summer and they will be able to sign him back for nothing.
But that could open the door to other clubs – with Real Madrid already linked – and Arteta is also a fan of the 19-year-old.

The pair worked closely together while the Gunners boss was an assistant to Pep Guardiola at City for three-and-a-half years.
But Arteta may also have to wait until the summer as he currently has a surplus of centre backs on the books at the Emirates.
Some of them are out of contract in the summer including David Luiz, Sokratis and Shkodran Mustafi – so there should be room on the wage bill then.
Guardiola said earlier this season he had not given up hope of persuading Garcia to sign a new deal at the Etihad.

However he has made only six appearances so far this season.
And Garcia wants to be playing regularly to ensure he earns a place in the Spain squad at the Euros next summer.
The young defender remains keen on a return to Barcelona but has been left frustrated by their failure to close a deal.
⚽ Read our Arsenal live blog for the latest news from The Emirates

Dundalk boss Filippo Giovagnoli speaking to Arsenal Fan TV about Mikel Arteta More

ONE of the many skills Sir Alex Ferguson had as a manager was spotting when a player’s time was up.
Not his career, just his time at Manchester United.

David De Gea should now be succeeded by England’s World Cup hopeful keeper Dean HendersonCredit: The Mega Agency

Man Utd legends David Beckham and Roy Keane were sent packing when legendary boss Alex Ferguson felt the time was right

When he had reached his peak and was starting to fall over the other side.When little errors crept in.
When they started costing points.
No matter what they had done for the club in the past, there was no sentimentality.
⚽ Read our Man United live blog for the latest news from Old Trafford

Ask David Beckham, whose levels had dropped as the celebrity half of his life started to take over and he was shipped out to Real Madrid.
Others from the Class of ’92, like Nicky Butt and Phil Neville, became surplus to requirements but still played in the top flight for Newcastle and Everton respectively.
They just were not good enough for Manchester United.
Roy Keane’s ignominious end after he had called out his team-mates on a never-to-be-aired MUTV programme, is perhaps the most infamous  example of Fergie acting.

He would have let it pass had it been a year or two earlier but injury problems were starting to mount.
Keane went on to play 13 games for Celtic and that was it.
Ferguson did not always get it right and admits he got rid of Jaap Stam too early in 2002.
He denies the player’s autobiography, which revealed a bit too much from behind the scenes for the manager’s liking, had anything to with it.
His decision to allow Ruud van Nistelrooy to leave was based more on a personal issue than his goal-scoring ability.

The Dutch ace fired a verbal volley at Fergie when he refused to bring him on in the 2006 League Cup final.
But in general, Ferguson knew when a player’s edge had gone.
Now it is time for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to put any sentiment to one side and make a big and bold decision.
To relieve David De Gea of his place as United’s No 1 goalkeeper and hand the gloves over to Dean Henderson for the rest of the season.
His error in conceding  the crucial third goal in Tuesday’s 3-2 defeat to RB Leipzig was the final straw.
Could you even call it an error? He just did not fancy the situation as the ball came across his six-yard box in the 69th minute.
Do not blame Harry Maguire — he let the ball go believing that any goalkeeper would already be off their line and ready to scoop it up.
Not De Gea, who appears to be nailed to his line when danger threatens.
As it was, he still had the chance to come out and smother the ball to deny Justin Kluivert.

He bottles it. He’s scared of getting himself hurt… It’s criminal for such an experienced goalkeeper.
Paul Scholes on David De Gea

Instead, he was half-hearted and turned his back on him.
United legend Paul Scholes was damning.
The former Red Devils midfielder said: “He bottles it. He’s scared of getting himself hurt. He turns his back away and makes himself smaller.
“It’s criminal for such an  experienced goalkeeper.”
At three goals down there was no coming back and United were out of the Champions League.
Keane has long voiced his  concerns about the Spaniard, who has played over 400 times in ten seasons at the club.
He used to be one of those  keepers, like Peter Schmeichel, who save you 12 points a season.
Now he is costing United.

Time and again last season  Solskjaer had to defend him.
Yet even he could not find words of support when he cost United a place in last season’s FA Cup final.
A weak, low shot from Mason Mount squirmed through his  fingers to give Chelsea a 2-0 lead on the way to a 3-1 semi-final win at Wembley.
Henderson returned to Old Trafford in the summer after a successful season on loan at Sheffield United.
But it will surely have been safe in the knowledge  he was on the brink of becoming No 1.
Otherwise he would have insisted on another loan move, with his eyes on next summer’s Euros with Gareth Southgate’s England.
The problem, of course, is that De Gea, who has just turned 30, will not want to play second  fiddle — but who would buy him?
In September 2019 he signed a new four-year contract with the option on the club’s side for a further year.

His new wages are £350,000 a week. Who else is going to pay that?
The Manchester derby this Saturday is make or break for Solskjaer in the eyes of many fans in the red half of the city.
The manager needs to be bold. He needs to take another leaf out of Fergie’s book.

Peter Schmeichel has frustrated reaction to Man Utd’s loss at RB Leipzig that leaves Jamie Carragher over the moon More