Pogba's worrying advice to Mainoo after his presence saw Man Utd star quit club

Pogba, who is currently trying to revive his career at Monaco, departed United on a free transfer for the second time in 2022. It was during that second stint that his influence played a part in Donny van de Beek concluding it was time to move on.

During a recent appearance on the Rio Ferdinand Presents podcast, Pogba was asked what advice he'd offer Mainoo and appeared to hint that he should consider leaving: "He played and he's such a talented, such a talented kid. He's still young.

"It's difficult. It's really difficult. It's the way how he feels. If he feels that, if he's good with the manager, if the manager really trusts him, because he's going to have all the clubs behind him, this is for sure.

"But I don't know about his contract, because if he will be a free agent, it will be a different story, I think. But, you know, a kid like this, you know, that thinks that he can play and other people think that he can play, his managers pushing him, telling him, you can play in this team, why you don't play. That also put this in this kid and he's like, 'Yeah, I should leave.'"

Pogba went on to concede that "maybe it's not the right decision" given the affection Mainoo commands at Old Trafford. The Frenchman concluded by expressing he simply wants what is best for the player, whose performances he thoroughly enjoys.

Mainoo, 21, was infamously underused by Ruben Amorim but has returned to prominence under his replacement, Michael Carrick. The player is now thought to be on the verge of signing a new five-year contract on significantly improved terms, having not long ago appeared destined for a move away.

It wouldn't be the first time Pogba had played a part in persuading someone to abandon the United project, albeit indirectly. That follows Van de Beek's ex-agent, Guido Albers, confirming the World Cup winner's involvement in his former client's departure from United.

Albers told Voetbal Primeur: "I saw the disappointment about the way he was treated by Manchester United, and he saw up close what I did to turn the situation around. But from the day he was not allowed to leave Manchester United again, it was final.

"In the Netherlands, Donny got all the appreciation, performed well and was super popular with the fans. At Manchester United, he then never played. The relationship between him and the club really cooled down badly.

"He had to compete against Paul Pogba, who reported late to the training camp, said sorry and was allowed to play again – in the place of a boy who was training 10 hours a day for eight weeks to show he was good enough.

"I then had that disappointment thrown at me. I underestimated what not playing anymore did to him mentally. I should have looked earlier, 'How can I help him?'"

One can sympathise with Van de Beek's grievances and why he may have felt sidelined under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and then Erik ten Hag. The Dutchman was shipped out on loan to Everton and Eintracht Frankfurt before departing Old Trafford for good when he joined Girona in 2024.

Mainoo finds himself in a vastly different situation as a homegrown talent who commands the backing of the vast majority of supporters. Nevertheless, that hasn't stopped Pogba from wading in with counsel many fans will be hoping the youngster chooses to disregard.