Bacary Sagna

Bacary Sagna - Classy Footballer

Former Manchester United star Dimitar Berbatov is hopeful that Paul Pogba remains with the Red Devils beyond the European transfer window. The France international has been heavily tipped to make the move to Real Madrid this summer and the deal remains a possibility with the Spanish transfer window closing only on September 2.

Speaking for Betfair, the ex-Bulgaria international highlighted the qualities of the former Juventus man, who was sensational during the second half of the Red Devils’ 4-0 league win over Chelsea last weekend. He added that the Frenchman is a special player, who has the perfect interpretation of the game and only a package of around £200m may tempt the Red Devils to sanction his sale.

Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has leaped into the defence of midfielder Paul Pogba amid suggestions that he wants to push through a summer exit from the club. The Frenchman had recently stated that he may consider a fresh challenge away from Old Trafford and since then, there has been several experts criticising his attitude.

Amidst this, Solskjaer has come in the support of the midfielder and he has stated that there has been an agenda against the 26-year-old. He added that the midfielder has not demanded an exit and there have been no offers over the same, he said:"It's an agenda against Paul, he's a great, great professional, never been any problems, he has a heart of gold. Paul's never put himself out of the team, always given his best and I can't report anything other than that agents talk all the time. We've not had any bids for any clubs. That's all I can say about this matter. I can't be sitting here talking about Paul and what agents are saying, we've got a few years left of his contract and he's been fantastic."

Former Real Madrid midfielder Christian Karembeu believes Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba is ready to take up the challenge with Los Blancos. The France international has been heavily linked with a move to the Spanish giants this summer with manager Zinedine Zidane keen on reinforcing the squad with a world-class midfielder.

Speaking to El Mundo, Karembeu said that Pogba is obviously one of the best midfielders in the world and he appears prepared for a bigger challenge with the 13-time European champions, he told the Spanish outlet:"Hopefully. He is a great player, and Zizou knows him from Juventus. He is ready for Madrid, although he will have to prove it. That shirt weighs a lot."

Former Juventus star Claudio Marchisio has said that he would love to see Paul Pogba make a comeback to the Serie A with the Bianconeri. The France international left the Serie A holders to return to Manchester United three years ago but the move has not worked out with him struggling for consistency with his performances.

Speaking to Tuttosport, Marchisio has indicated that he would have preferred Frenkie de Jong at Juventus but that is no longer viable with Barcelona landing his signature. He added that Kevin de Bruyne and Eden Hazard are the other options on his wishlist, but they don’t seem feasible when compared to Pogba.

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has said that the team should use their Champions League disappointment as a motivation to push for the Premier League title. The Mancunian giants recently bowed out of the Champions League to Tottenham Hotspur on the away goal rule after their quarter-final clash ended with a 4-4 aggregate score.

Speaking in a news conference, Guardiola said that the players have yet to fully overcome the disappointment of exiting the Champions League at the last eight stage. However, he added that the players can use the same as a motivation factor when they face Mauricio Pochettino’s side again in the Premier League this weekend.
He said: “If you believe it doesn’t hurt, or forget it, I’d say no. I want to see my players know what they did on Wednesday. It will take time [to get over] and we have to live with that feeling. But what we lived was incredible, we were lucky to live it. There is not an activity in this world you can put in these limits. We have to live with these situations, accept them. It will be on our minds, but looking back it will help us to move forward. These players have the opportunity to show they can do that.”

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has said that the Citizens have a good chance of progressing in the Champions League despite the recent setback against Tottenham Hotspur on the road. The Citizens suffered a slender 1-0 loss to the north London side during the first leg of the quarter-final stage, and the club now find themselves in a situation where they must find the scoresheet to stay alive in the competition.

Speaking after the game, Guardiola admitted that the result was not the best but it was not the worst either. He added that comebacks are essential at the final stages of the elite competition and he is hopeful that the team can turn things around at the Etihad Stadium next week, he said: "It’s not the best result but not the worst one. You know in this competition when you want to go through into the last stages you have to make these kind of comebacks.

Former France international Dominique Bijotat believes Paul Pogba has changed into a team player which has brought the best out of him. The midfielder recently failed to find the scoresheet during Les Bleus’ 4-1 win over Moldova in the European qualifier but he was nonetheless influential with his movement and distribution during the game.

Speaking after the match, Bijotat praised the qualities of Pogba, who has become more of a team player unlike previously where he was trying hard to influence play by himself, he said: “Paul Pogba played a great match. Yes, he had more time without a real opponent, yes he hardly had to defend but technically he is at the top of the world.

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has confirmed that both Benjamin Mendy and Vincent Kompany would continue to remain on the sidelines ahead of the weekend’s FA Cup meeting against Newport County on the road. The Citizens are going through a tough schedule where they have matches across four competitions and Guardiola has admitted that there will be minor changes in every game.

Speaking to reporters, Guardiola confirmed that Mendy and Kompany remain sidelines alongside long-term absentee Eliaquim Mangala. He added that he is aware of the forthcoming schedule where they have a match in every three days but he prepared to assess his option game by game with each fixture holding importance.

Manchester United legend-turned-pundit Paul Scholes has revealed his delight after the Red Devils secured the services of Anthony Martial on a long-term basis. The France international endured a difficult spell under Jose Mourinho where he has in-and-out of the starting lineup and there was a time where he was reluctant to extend his contract.

However, that situation has changed with the dismissal of the Portuguese and the Frenchman has now eventually signed a fresh five-year contract with the club with the option of a further 12 months. Speaking on BBC Five Live, Scholes has praised his former side for getting the deal done with the Frenchman, who had previously been eyeing a potential move elsewhere.

Bayern Munich sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic has confirmed the signing of Benjamin Pavard from fellow Bundesliga rivals Stuttgart. The France international is scheduled to join the Bavarian giants at the end of the season after penning a five-year contract with the reigning German champions.

Speaking to reporters, Salihamidzic confirmed the signing for the highly-rated defender saying: “We’ve signed Benjamin Pavard for 1 July 2019. He’s put pen to paper on a five-year contract. He’s a young player and a world champion. We’re very glad and proud to have gained such a player for FC Bayern.”