Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has told Manchester United bosses he needs “the best players” to win trophies, amid contract discussions with Paul Pogba.
The midfielder, who is currently with France’s squad preparing for Euro 2020, has just one-year remaining on his deal after United opted to trigger a 12-month extension.
Pogba sparked speculation about his future last year when he claimed a move to Real Madrid would be “a dream”.
Those rumours only intensified when his agent Mino Raiola declared his Old Trafford career “over” and said his client would push for a move in 2021.
However, Pogba did end the season well under Solskjaer and looked more content than he has for much of his return.
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With just a year before he will be able to leave on a free, the United boss is fully aware his situation will need to be resolved and has hinted the club already know his Pogba stance.
"We want the best players here, and the club knows what I want,” Solskjaer told Norwegian news outlet TV2.
"I do not know how the dialogue goes, but if we are to fight for the best trophies, we must have the best players."
After struggling with the effects of coronavirus at the start of the season, the 28-year-old became an integral part of a United squad that earned their joint-best finish since 2013.
"Of course, we've got discussions and talks,” Solskjaer said back in March. “When you see Paul playing like he did against Milan, when you see him come back training, it shows how much he cares for us and how much he enjoys playing and how much we can benefit from having him here.."
Asked before the end of season if there was any chance United could be pressured to sell the former Juventus star this summer, he replied, “no, of course not”.
“I have always said with Paul that I enjoy managing him, I enjoy coaching him, I enjoy talking to him and I also enjoy challenging him because he is a winner.
“He wants to be better and that’s why he listens. You can see he’s enjoying himself here as well.
“He has a smile on his face. It’s important we treat each other with respect and I try to treat everyone with the same amount of respect.
“But there are some players you have known since they were young lads and that’s the case with Paul: the longer you have known them the easier it is to have a bond with them.”
Pogba is likely to leave any negotiations until the end of this summer’s European Championship, with France starting as the bookmakers’ favourite.
With the likes of Karim Benzema returning, Pogba described their squad as “a PlayStation team” but warned his teammates they must deliver.
“We have a PlayStation team but it will remain a PlayStation team if we don’t win a trophy,” he told Eurosport France’s FC Stream Team Podcast.
“We have to live up to expectations and there’ll be even more expected with Karim’s return. It’s nice to see a team sheet like that.”
