Paul Pogba to replace Antonio Valencia as Manchester United Skipper

Paul Pogba is said to take over as captain at Manchester United from next season following Antonio Valencia exit.

Manchester United’s decade long servant Antonio Valencia has confirmed that he would be leaving the club this summer. The Red Devils failed to strike a deal with the Ecuadorian which sees him leave as a free agent after the conclusion of this campaign.

The English outfit had until 17:00 yesterday to trigger the one-year extension clause, but the board decided to press the pass button. Valencia took this matter to social media and gave a heartwarming message to the fans.

“Lago Agrio is a very humble town in Ecuador. When I was a child, I never imagined travel to Europe. Thanks to God for letting me play 10 years in the best club in the world Manchester United. Now I am focused on my recovery so I can end the season playing at Old Trafford!” wrote Valencia.

The Interim boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer looks to have picked the next captain of the club. The English publication Metro report that the Norwegian had held a poll within the first team squad and Paul Pogba is said to have won the contest and take over the captain’s armband from next season.

The report also adds that the World Cup winner gained 46% of the votes, whilst Ander Herrera was the second name in the list with 22% and Victor Lindelof secured 14% of the votes from their teammates.

The 25-year-old holds a huge eminence within the squad by producing the expected output under the management of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. The French International has scored 9 goals and assisted 7 times from 14 games in the last three months.

Pogba did not enjoy a good relationship with the former manager Jose Mourinho but he was handed out the captain’s armband for the first time against FC Basel in the Champions League Group Stages the last term. He has gone on to captain the club on 9 occasions in his Manchester United career till date.

Solskjaer has been vocal about the leadership qualities Paul Pogba possess. In the pre-match press conference before the stalemate against Liverpool, the Red Devils boss said that he is a leader in the dressing room.

“He will play now! He is a top top player that I have always liked, since I saw him play as a kid.

“He is a World Cup winner, he is a leader in the dressing room, on the pitch as well. He wants the ball all the time. My idea was to get him playing to the best of his abilities. I thought, he is an attacking midfielder.

“You saw PSG man-marked him (in the Champions League), other teams probably will. I don’t know if Liverpool will. If they do, it may leave space for others – we need to be ready for that.” said Solskjaer.

There have been mixed reactions from the fans when the rumours started to pick up about Paul Pogba being opted as next club’s captain. However, it is subjected to change if the Red Devils ordain to look elsewhere for their next permanent manager.