‘It wasn’t the same club’ – Pogba reflects on troubled Man United comeback

Paul Pogba has offered a blunt assessment of his second stint at Manchester United, revealing that the club’s fundamental identity and “energy” had drastically shifted by the time he returned to Old Trafford in 2016.

Speaking on the Rio Ferdinand Presents podcast, the AS Monaco midfielder described the environment he found upon his world-record £89 million move from Juventus as “different” and “a bit weird,” noting that the storied culture he first experienced under Sir Alex Ferguson had evaporated.

Pogba, 33, told of feeling an immediate change in the atmosphere upon his return, citing shifts in club culture and even internal details like food that left him doubting if he would finish his contract.

“I talked to Pat and said everything is different. The energy is different.

“I said when I left, it wasn’t like that. You came to Manchester United with a clear idea of the culture of Manchester United. And it was a bit… it was different.

“Even the food, everything inside was different. It was a bit weird.

“I told Pat I don’t know if I’ll finish my contract basically here because I don’t feel like it’s the same. It’s not the same club as when I left.”

Following his 2022 departure from Old Trafford to Juventus and a subsequently reduced doping ban, the French midfielder signed with AS Monaco in June 2025.

However, his time in Ligue 1 has been defined by fitness struggles, returning in April 2026 after a calf injury. To date, he has played only 56 minutes across four substitute appearances for the club.