Paul Pogba's agent has explained why the Frenchman struggled at Manchester United following his famous return in 2016.
The Red Devils academy product left Old Trafford to join Juventus as a free agent in 2012, and returned four years later for a club-record fee of £89 million (R1.8 billion).
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However, an ultimately underwhelming second spell with United that was blighted by injury issues and inconsistency saw the 29-year-old leave as a free agent again at the end of the 2021/22 season after his contract expired, with the midfielder later sealing a return to Juve.
During that second stint, Pogba was often harshly criticised for failing to live up to his huge price tag, while a feud with ex-Red Devils manager Jose Mourinho reportedly left the squad "frustrated" and "angry" with the 2018 FIFA World Cup winner's treatment from his head coach.
His agent Rafaela Pimenta has now elaborated on why the midfielder struggled at the Manchester club ahead of his return to Juventus in July.
"Did Paul fail Manchester United or did Manchester United fail Paul? Or did they fail each other? These are good questions," she told The Telegraph.
"When Paul went there he won the Europa League [in 2017]. Paul was playing all the time for Manchester United when he was not injured.
"He did not choose to be injured. But he played when he was not injured.
"Now I think Manchester United is going through a transitional phase.
"And this transition phase, because there was such an important presence in the club before, that was built around him, when you miss that figure then a club needs time to restructure itself.
"So Manchester United is going through a restructuring phase and I think Paul was part of that phase.
"They are still going through it and they will make it, I have no doubt but Paul was in the middle of it.
"I think when things don't happen it's best to take joint responsibility when there is joint responsibility. You have to acknowledge it.
"But I don't think Paul is to blame for things not going as we would have liked them to have gone."
While things did not go to plan for Pogba at United, Pimenta also insisted that his return to the Theatre of Dreams was the right decision at the time.
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"Paul made a choice of the heart, at the time," she added.
"He really wanted to go back to United.
"The happiness he felt going back was like home. So I am sure it was the right choice.
"Now, were there expectations for more trophies and more achievements? Yes, there was. But they didn't come."
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