Paul Pogba gives off the ‘wrong vibe’: Teddy Sheringham

Former Man United striker Sheringham hits out at French World Cup winner's mentality and desire

Former Manchester United striker Teddy Sheringham has questioned Paul Pogba's mentality, saying the midfielder "gives off the wrong vibe as a Manchester United player".

Pogba has played just eight matches for the Red Devils this season due to injury, after suggesting he wanted a new challenge ahead of the start of the season.

His agent Mino Raiola has been critical of United several times this season and suggested that his client would be better off elsewhere.

The 27-year-old World Cup winner was back in training on Monday when English Premier League teams returned to non-contact training as part of Project Restart.

Pogba's stature at Old Trafford has waned since the arrival of fellow midfielder Bruno Fernandes from Sporting Lisbon in late January, as the Portuguese hit the ground running in Manchester, orchestrating games from the middle of the park.

Commenting on the Frenchman, 1999 Treble winner Sheringham told Sky Sports: "They need to recruit in the right manner, get the right people out.

"The big one for me is Pogba - a lot of talk about him.

"You mention top players, captains, when things weren't going right in our time, Roy Keane put things right. He would drive things on, dig deep and have a say in every game we played in because of his desire.

"Look at Pogba, does he have that desire? Yes, he is talented but does he get United out of the mire and dig deep?

"For me, the answer is no. He gives off the wrong vibe as a Manchester United player.

"It is good to be cocky and arrogant at the right time, Dwight Yorke had that, but he had the desire to put things right at the right times and I don't think Pogba has that.

"So it would be best to get someone else in with the right desire to drag Manchester United on."

Pogba's preferred next destination is believed to be Juventus but Italian newspaper Tuttosport reported yesterday that he needs to lower his £11 million (S$19.3m) per year salary demands if he wants to return to Turin.

Those demands are already a significant drop from the £15m a year he earns at United.

Meanwhile, The Times yesterday reported that United's attempts to hold on to striker Odion Ighalo for the rest of the Covid-19-disrupted season looks to have ended in failure.

The Nigerian scored four goals in 349 minutes since his January arrival on loan from Shanghai Shenhua, an average of a goal every 87 minutes.

However, with the Chinese Super League likely to resume next month and Ighalo's loan due to expire on Sunday, Shanghai want the 30-year-old back and have reportedly offered him a 3½-year contract worth £400,000 per week.