Paul Pogba to Man Utd transfer meeting revealed as Paul Scholes and Nicky Butt ignored

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Manchester United legend Paul Scholes and Nicky Butt have lifted the lid on a secret meeting where they were asked to weigh in on potential signings for the club. The former midfield maestros revealed the consultation took place while Ryan Giggs was serving as caretaker boss during the 2013/14 campaign following the departure of David Moyes .

The Red Devils were in the midst of a major overhaul following Sir Alex Ferguson's retirement, with the club pursuing high-profile acquisitions in an effort to reclaim their position among the Premier League's elite. Against this backdrop, then-executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward turned to Scholes and Butt for their input , presenting the duo with a shortlist of four potential recruits.

During an appearance on The Good, The Bad and The Football podcast , the United stalwarts detailed how that discussion with Woodward ultimately paved the way for Paul Pogba's homecoming. Butt recalled: "I just remember Ryan [Giggs] took control of the club for four or five or six games at the end of the season...

"Then me and Scholesy did it [the meeting] with him and Phil as well. And I remember obviously they were looking for the right manager to come in and take the job, so they obviously needed targets to go and get in the summer.

"So I had left the training ground and got called back, and there was a meeting with myself, Scholesy, Ryan, and Ed Woodward, and I think Ed Woodward was on a Zoom call; it wasn't so much face-to-face, I think he was in London, and it was like, 'Who would you get?'

"And he gave us a list of midfielders, I know Pogba was one, Kroos weren't you saying? Fabregas might've been one."

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Scholes added: "I think [Cesc] Fabregas might've been one as well, I think even [Luka] Modric might've been one as well."

Butt continued: "I remember we were all discussing pros and cons to them all, and the end of the conversation was, 'go for both of them, [Toni] Kroos and Pogba, because we're Man United and we need to get back to the top'.

"And if you get one, it's like yin and yang, we mentioned it a while ago, about if you get centre-backs, with Harry Maguire , and you need a footballing player next to him, it's a bit of the same with midfielders.

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"We're not all the same, and you need a bit to complement each other, and that was how it was left, and then they went all-out for Pogba."

United brought Pogba back to Old Trafford in August 2016, sealing a transfer from Juventus that could have totalled £93million with all the additional clauses. The France international featured 233 times for the Red Devils during his second spell, netting 39 goals and providing 51 assists.

He then left on a free transfer in 2022. Pogba's career is often viewed through different lenses, with some recalling the magic he could weave, while others feel he never consistently lived up to his hefty price tag.

The inclusion of Toni Kroos, Luka Modric, or Cesc Fabregas in the team might have altered his fate, with the first two continuing to shine at Real Madrid for many more years, while the latter had a stint back in England with Chelsea , before playing in France and then Italy.

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