Darren Bent has claimed that Jurgen Klopp would love to coach Paul Pogba at Liverpool.
Speaking to TalkSPORT, Bent insisted that despite Pogba’s perceived work-rate issues, Klopp would still sign him for Liverpool.
Responding to a caller who claimed otherwise, Bent said he could imagine the Liverpool boss is keeping an eye on the Frenchman’s situation.
“You say Klopp and Pep wouldn’t touch him, I bet they’ve probably looked at the scenario and I bet they’ve had a conversation with him,” he said.
“You know what all great manager’s are like, they always think that even though that player has been a problem elsewhere, I can get the best out of him. I can guarantee you that Pep and Klopp think they can get the best out of any player on the planet.”
Pogba is available on a free transfer this summer having seen out his contract at Manchester United. Liverpool do need a midfielder to bolster their options, but this is surely never, ever going to happen.
If anyone can, Klopp can
Bent is right in his assertion that Klopp can truly get the best out of any player. Sometimes though, the juice simply isn’t worth the squeeze.
There’s no question that Pogba is a supreme player on his day. The trouble is that those days have been coming around increasingly rarely.
He’s now twenty-nine and has plenty of injuries behind him. You’d have to think that his best footballing years are gone.
Still, his talents are such that they might pique the interests of a manager like ours. If anyone can bring him back to his best on a consistency basis, it’s Klopp.
Never going to happen
Unfortunately, or maybe that should say fortunately, his wage demands make any move to Liverpool a non-starter.
Pogba’s past with United would also potentially be a stumbling block. However, there are reports that he’s considering an offer from Manchester City, so perhaps this wouldn’t be an issue after all.
After becoming the world’s most expensive player in an £89m deal in 2016, it hasn’t gone to plan at United. His displays on the international stage have shown that there is still a top player in there somewhere. But Liverpool need to be looking to younger options to take them forward.
There are plenty of players out there that Klopp would love to coach. Let’s focus on the ones who are a little more realistic.