Ole Gunnar Solskjaer expects Paul Pogba to stay at Manchester United next season despite speculation increasing over a possible move to Real Madrid.
Reports linking the World Cup winner to LaLiga giants Madrid have ramped up amid United s poor run of results, which have seriously damaged the club s hopes of securing Champions League qualification.
Solskjaer s side have lost seven of their past nine matches in all competitions, lending weight to the view that a struggling squad must be overhauled in the next transfer window.
The potential sale of Pogba, signed from Juventus for £89million in 2016, could fund several new additions but the Red Devils manager is confident his star asset will stay at Old Trafford.
You can t guarantee anything in football, but yes I think Pogba will be here, Solskjaer said.
I can assure you he is determined to be a success at Manchester United.
That s just the standards he sets because when he s creating chances, scoring goals, doing loads of work that s just media, supporters, everyone looks to Paul [and asks] could you have done better?
Paul s done fantastic for us. He s a human being as well, we re all the same, we want him to do well. He s a leader in the dressing room and on the pitch.
And, back to if I can guarantee [Pogba staying], I would say yes. You never can guarantee, but he will be here as far as I can answer that.
22 Paul Pogba has been involved in 22 Premier League goals this season (13 goals, 9 assists), his best ever return in a single top-flight campaign. Worthy.
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe)
Ex-Red Devils captain Roy Keane publicly criticised 26-year-old Pogba ahead of the 2-0 midweek defeat to rivals Manchester City, accusing the France international of playing for himself and failing to lead sufficiently.
Solskjaer countered that view, insisting his former team-mate s confrontational style is not consistent with the modern game.
We have a squad full of talented players and leadership is so many different things, the Norwegian said.
I think you know as well the world has changed, so you don t have a Robbo [Bryan Robson], a Keane or a Steve Bruce in our dressing room. We re all different
I loved to play under Roy Keane, and everyone here spoke about Robbo, but society is different now.
I don t lead the same way Alex Ferguson did, or [Louis] Van Gaal or [Jose] Mourinho, we re all different leaders.
