The ambition was audacious, the targets glittering. Behind closed doors at Manchester United, a pivotal conversation unfolded involving club legends Nicky Butt, Paul Scholes, and executive Ed Woodward. The question wasn’t simply about strengthening the midfield, but about making a statement – a return to dominance.
The names on the table read like a who’s who of European footballing royalty: Toni Kroos, Luka Modric, Cesc Fabregas, and, crucially, Paul Pogba. United had already identified Pogba as a priority, a prodigal son returning to the club he’d left years before. But the legends in the room argued for something bolder.
“Get both,” Butt recalled telling Woodward, alongside Scholes. “We’re Manchester United, buy both of them.” The logic was simple: a club of United’s stature shouldn’t settle for one world-class midfielder when it could acquire two. Yet, the decision was made to pursue Pogba exclusively, a chase that would ultimately take two years to finalize.
Pogba’s eventual arrival in 2016 came with a world-record fee of £89 million, a sum that carried immense expectation. While Butt and Scholes remembered a dedicated and promising player from his earlier days, his second stint at Old Trafford proved frustratingly inconsistent. He eventually departed for Juventus, a free agent, in 2022.
The internal discussions revealed a deeper issue brewing within the club. Butt described a “weird time,” where the pursuit of superstars seemed to overshadow the core principles of team building. The club had become a “commercial monster,” he suggested, and struggled to manage the inflated profile of its biggest signings.
The fanfare surrounding Pogba’s return – days of studio filming and relentless promotion – felt excessive, even to those within the organization. It created a pressure cooker environment, where a player accustomed to being a key figure at Juventus found himself under an unprecedented spotlight.
Scholes, remembering Pogba as a young player, spoke of his talent and physical presence. He acknowledged the excitement surrounding his return, but also hinted at a possible shift in attitude. The player who once seemed destined for greatness ultimately couldn’t recapture that initial spark.
The story isn’t simply about missed transfer targets or a player failing to live up to his price tag. It’s a glimpse behind the curtain of a club grappling with its identity, struggling to balance commercial demands with sporting ambition, and ultimately, failing to unlock the full potential of a truly gifted footballer.
