Paul Pogba won't play for Manchester United again.
The joy and excitement that was infectious amongst supporters when Pogba returned to United in 2016 is in stark contrast to the total apathy that surrounds his impending departure. The Frenchman arrived back at Old Trafford from Juventus like the long, lost prodigal son for a massive £89million fee. Six years on, it's clear he didn't live up to lofty expectations.
Pogba's contract will expire at the end of June and his association with United will once again come to an end. With Zinedine Zidane no longer at the helm to push for his signature at Real Madrid, a move back to Juventus or a return to his homeland with Paris Saint-Germain appear the most likely destinations.
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But wherever the midfielder chooses to go, there is unlikely to be many tears shed from a fanbase that has grown cold and occasionally hostile towards him. Pogba was ruled out for the season last month after picking up an injury just 9 minutes into the hammering suffered at the hands of Liverpool, so he will leave Manchester for a second time without even a send-off.
It could have been so much different. While Pogba is far from responsible for the steady decline of United during his time at the club, he was never able to consistently put in the high level of performance that he was signed for. Despite flashes of utter brilliance.
Jose Mourinho was the man in charge at United when Pogba returned and the Portuguese expected big things from his new star playmaker. "He has the chance to be at the heart of this club for the next decade and beyond," he said at the time.
Sadly for United, Mourinho has since been proven to be well wide of the mark. Pogba has only been at the club for six seasons, far from the 10 plus that was predicted, and he was never the focal point that he perhaps should have been.
Despite his obvious attacking talents, Mourinho and his predecessor Ole Gunnar Solskjaer repeatedly persevered with playing Pogba in a deeper midfield role that didn't suit his abilities. Long spells on the sidelines and constant doubt over his future meant the team was never built around him, even in times of good form.
Pogba also proved to be incorrect about his own time at United and especially his relationship with Mourinho. Upon signing, he said: "He [Mourinho] gave me energy, he gave me positivity, they all told me he's the coach for me - he will make me improve a lot and make me work harder."
That didn't come to pass, either, as despite winning two trophies together - the Carabao Cup and Europa League - the pair's relationship soon grew frosty. A few months after Mourinho's dismissal, Pogba revealed how things changed.
"Once I had a great relationship with Mourinho, everybody saw that, and the next day you don't know what happened," he told Sky Sports. "That's the strange thing I had with Mourinho and I cannot explain to you because even I don't know."
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