Why Manchester United should be happy to sell Paul Pogba

Ed Woodward - United’s transfer chief, in both senses of the word - does not want to let Pogba go. He refused to let him leave when Jose Mourinho accurately believed he was going to be a toxic and harmful presence, and it retrospect even Barcelona’s pitiful offer should have been accepted. Andre Gomes, out of form and injured, delivered many far better performances at Everton than the World Cup winner could be bothered to conjure up under either Mourinho or Ole Gunnar Solskajer.

After a couple of weeks of waiting after the season's end, Pogba has said he believes it is time for a new challenge. He is pretending that he ever engaged with the idea of a challenge at United, rather treating it as an unnecessary hassle. Mino Raiola, his agent, says he is working on a departure.

Now L’Equipe have reported that Real Madrid are preparing their first offer for Pogba on the understanding that the 26-year-old midfielder wants to join up with Zinedine Zidane. So much so that he is willing to take a pay cut and hope to make up the difference later. The report suggests that they will offer just €80 million, and if they can get away with it they will try to dump Gareth Bale on Old Trafford at the same time.

Taking on Bale permanently would be a foolish mistake, so it can't be ruled out that Woodward will try it. Just as big a mistake would to be refuse Real’s attempt to sign Pogba. It might make sense to hold out for parity with the fee they paid Juventus a few years ago, but really, the most important thing is to move him on.

Pogba can be a truly brilliant player. He can be the best midfielder in the world, comfortably. He can be an effective defensive presence, a playmaker from deep, a technically adept, skilful attacker and a goalscorer. He has the most vital qualities of a player in several positions, and there is probably little doubt that Zidane can motivate him to show those more regularly, especially when he is surrounded by better players than Solskjaer can call upon.

Given he gets a quarter of a million quid every week, he should be willing to stoop to work with Nemanja Matic and Scott McTominay, but the fact is he isn’t and never has been. There is no reason to believe he ever will be. The player that Real Madrid will get is probably nothing like the player Manchester United have. Sometimes in football, as in life, it is simply better to just give up. With €80, 100, 120 - even 50 - million in exchange for the player, the odds are in favour that United can still get someone in the squad to play better for them.

Cutting Pogba from the squad is not just a question of pragmatism, it is now one of removing a genuine problem. A player who can't be bothered or persuaded, who is happy to consider sedition, can't be allowed to drag down players who have yet to be infected by Old Trafford’s mediocrity. There are players like Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Daniel James who don’t need to be guided by a man who has been content to squander most of his ambition. If Sean Longstaff comes too, there is another player who needs to be coached towards the best of his ability.

Not one of the players in United’s squad, or that they have been linked with, will ever match the potential of Paul Pogba. The problem is, neither will he.