Paul Pogba gives clearest sign yet he will pen new deal at Manchester United: 'I'm really, really happy and so blessed to be back'

Paul Pogba has given the clearest indication yet of his commitment to Manchester United as he claimed he was enjoying his football at Old Trafford more than ever and thanked the club and his team-mates for the support they have shown him.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said this week that he was hopeful Pogba will sign a new contract with United, a year after the France midfielder expressed a desire for a “new challenge” amid interest from Real Madrid and Juventus.

Pogba has a year left on his existing £290,000-a-week contract but United - who have an option to extend that by 12 months to June 2022 - want to tie the player down to a new longer-term deal.

Solskjaer has been encouraged by Pogba’s attitude, application and form since returning to action after six months out following ankle surgery and the Frenchman said he had been boosted by the trust shown in him and United’s impressive form.

United are unbeaten in 16 matches and face Aston Villa at Villa Park on Thursday night knowing they will guarantee Champions League qualification if they win their remaining five Premier League matches.

Premier League 2019/20 latest standings (top six)

“I’m really, really happy and so blessed to be back and fully fit now, and I’m enjoying being back with the team,” Pogba said.

“I feel great, I feel much, much better now. I’ve been training well and they [the club] have been looking after me very well. I’ve been doing some extra work and treatment on my ankle and the rest of my body. And my team-mates as well, they’ve helped me to come back and feel confident.

“It’s like I never left - the guys still trust in me and always believe in me and that’s helped me a lot as well.

“You can tell that the team is improving a lot. We play more as a team than we did before, we enjoy it even more, we defend together, we attack together, and this team is stronger as well.

“The players who are on the bench or who don’t play every time, when they come on they help the team so the mentality is good and is right. All this together has put us where we are today.”

Pogba had wanted to leave Old Trafford for Barcelona in 2018 and Real last summer but United blocked his departure and, while the Madrid club and Juventus retain an interest in the World Cup winner, neither have the funds to finance a huge transfer package in the wake of the Covid-19 crisis.

It has limited Pogba’s options but the midfielder has been encouraged by the strides United are starting to take under Solskjaer, with whom he has a good working relationship, and has been excited by what he describes as the club’s “beautiful” attack.

United have won their past three league games in which Pogba, Bruno Fernandes, Marcus Rashford, Mason Greenwood and Anthony Martial have all started together for the first time, scoring 11 goals in the process, and Pogba believes they have rich potential together.

“From behind I just enjoy it,” Pogba told United Review. “I’m enjoying just watching Bruno, Rashford, Martial and Mason, who all played the last game, and seeing them score goals. You just keep applauding, it’s beautiful... they make me enjoy football every time!

“As well though there is the defensive work that people don’t talk about - they do it. The pressing - they do it... that’s what you maybe don’t see that much.

“Football fans who know football see that and that’s the difference that we have and it’s great to see them at their best. I think it’s about the mentality – the attacking and defending that they do every time – that helps us, it helps the midfielders and the defenders and obviously the talent speaks for itself - the goals and the action and the football, everything.”

Pogba believes it is imperative United maintain this momentum and continue to look forward as they target Champions League qualification - as well as success in the FA Cup and Europa League - and not rest on their laurels.

“To become a top, top team we just need to forget about the last game,” he said. “We do it, we play well, we do great but then we forget about it and we think about the next one.

“Take last week, we don’t think about what happened, we are focused on going again. We have to always keep having the goal to improve ourselves and never get satisfied with what we did.

“For example, Martial scored three goals [against Sheffield United], his first hat-trick, then he goes again, you have to carry on... he wants to take another ball home, you know!

“You have to have this mentality, score a goal and do it again and again... Bruno, Rashy, Mason... hey, if you got two goals, great, but go for three, why not.

“You have to keep this mentality, keep a clean sheet too... we want to keep working on this and we have the mentality to do it.

“That’s also the mentality of this club, it’s always been like that. We’re never satisfied with one trophy or one game we win or two games or 10 games, you want more, you always want more. That’s what makes Manchester United the biggest club, for me, in England.”