Ralf Rangnick insists he will not try to convince Paul Pogba to sign new Manchester United contract

Pogba is about to enter the final six months of his current deal (Picture: Getty)

Manchester United interim manager Ralf Rangnick will not try to convince Paul Pogba to remain at the club if the midfielder decides to move on next summer.

Pogba’s current deal at Old Trafford expires at the end of the season and is free to discuss terms with clubs outside the Premier League in January.

The France international is thought to be still deciding his future and has not ruled out signing a new deal at Old Trafford.

But asked if he could influence Pogba’s decision, Rangnick insisted there is no point trying keeping hold of a player who is already looking elsewhere.  

‘I wouldn’t say he’s not worth keeping but, of course, players have to want to play and stay for a club and a big club like Manchester United,” Rangnick said on Friday ahead of United’s trip to Norwich City.

Rangnick insists it is not his job to convince players to stay (Picture: Getty)

‘If a player does not want to play for a club like Manchester United medium or long-term, I don’t think it makes sense to convince him to change his mind.

‘This is such a massive club with such fantastic support from the supporters, I don’t think anyone in the club should try to convince a player to stay. But on the other hand, let’s wait and see.

‘I have spoken with him for 15 minutes over the phone a few days ago. Let’s have him come back, get fully fit, train with the team and then see where we stand, how the team has developed by then.

‘He can be an important player but this is true for all the other players that we have and I’m not just the coach of Paul Pogba, I’m also the coach of all the other players and my ambition is to make them better, improve each individual player, and this is only possible by improving the performance of the whole team.

‘In football it’s impossible to develop players individually without the team being successful and without the team being sustainable.’

Pogba is currently in Dubai where he is recovering from a thigh injury suffered during the November international break.

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