Ole Gunnar Solskjaer on Keeping Paul Pogba, Spending This Summer & Challenging Liverpool
By Adam Aladay
Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has reiterated his desire to keep hold of Paul Pogba as he looks to build a side that will challenge for the title in the future.
Man Utd extended their unbeaten run to 13 games in all competitions as they overcame Sheffield United in impressive fashion recently, with Anthony Martial scoring a hat-trick in a 3-0 win.
The result against the Blades means the Red Devils have drawn one and won one of their first two games back after the restart, and they will be hoping for another win on Saturday as they look to book their place in the semi-finals of the FA Cup when they face Norwich.
Speaking ahead of the game, Solskjaer shared his thoughts on Pogba's future and competing for titles, while providing an update on summer transfer plans.
Solskjaer on Wanting Paul Pogba to Stay
The three-month break provided Pogba with the chance to overcome his injury struggles and regain fitness He marked his return to action with a brilliant display against Tottenham - despite the fact he only played 27 minutes - and then started the game against Sheffield United.
He continues to be linked with a move away from Old Trafford, with the likes of Juventus interested, but Solskjaer has maintained his desire to keep the Frenchman.
“Yes we are looking to keep Paul here - we are looking to keep the best players here anyway," he said, via the Telegraph. "He wants to be the best he can be. He knows he’s a special talent and he doesn’t want, in five or 10 years’ time, to look back and think: ‘I didn’t make the most of it.’
"He is already a World Cup winner. He has won things with Juventus and us so I’m not surprised by his enthusiasm and dedication to us.
“Every time you see anyone else lift the trophy it hurts. I reckon that’s the feeling [for] everyone associated with Manchester United - players, staff supporters. We want to get back to winning ways. That’s our challenge.”
Solskjaer on Coronavirus & Transfer Spending
Executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward has already stated that it may not be 'business as usual' this summer, before once again explaining that the 'realities' shouldn't be ignored.
Solskjer has now admitted that he is unsure how much the club are willing to spend in the transfer market as they continue to try to cope with the financial implications of COVID-19.
"I think the pandemic has hit everyone really hard," Solskjaer said, as quoted by Sky Sports.
"I still think we need to wait and see how things are panning out to know the real effects of the pandemic, to know what kind of financial state we are in. You see some teams invest, some teams don't. We'll have to take a big look at things ourselves to see how hard we've been hit. I know the club has announced a few numbers before.
"It's not for me to say here now we are going to have X amount because I don't really know. I don't really know how hard we have been hit. We are a financially strong club, but we are also probably being hit more than anybody else.
"Let's see how quickly we can get our fans back into the stadium and of course the league position is going to be important for us this season. If we can get a trophy, the FA Cup or the Europa League.
"The Europa League will also qualify us for the Champions League, there's still a lot of uncertainty and these three or four months, every businessman in the world, every footballer in the world, I think everyone is still unsure what the effect will be."
Solskjaer on United Maintaining Consistency to Challenge for Titles
United have shown that when playing at their best, they can compete with most teams. Now 13 games unbeaten, things are looking more positive for Solskjaer, and the boss has revealed that he sees the current group developing into a title-challenging side.
"I feel that we have shown at our best that we can match the best teams," he said. "That is the challenge for me and the players certainly that we can have that consistency now. We cannot afford to have the bad periods that we had earlier on in the season.
"Of course anyone can get injuries and be out for a while. We are still one of the youngest teams in the league and we need to learn how to win games that this season we have drawn or lost.
"But yes I do see a team building and developing into a team how we see Man Utd and hopefully that can mean we will move up the table and challenge yes definitely."