Jose Mourinho Wants Paul Pogba to Stay but Casts Doubt on Other Man Utd Players

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has said he believes Paul Pogba will be at the club next season and made a "guarantee" that he wants the player to stay, but the Portuguese revealed a number of his players are not good enough. 

After being left out of the starting lineup for some key matches earlier in the campaign, most notably both legs of the UEFA Champions League round-of-16 meeting with Sevilla, speculation has gathered pace about Pogba's position at Old Trafford beyond this campaign.

When asked about the player in particular, Mourinho said he is hopeful Pogba will stick around, per Chris Wheeler of the Daily Mail. As Wheeler noted, the France international midfielder has recently been linked with a move to Paris Saint-Germain.

"I think he's going to be here next season," the coach said of Pogba. "That's my feeling. "I can give the guarantee that I don't want him to leave, that the club doesn't want to sell him. And I can give you the guarantee that we don't have any approach from him or his agent or from any club."

BBC Sport's Simon Stone relayed more from the coach:

While Mourinho wasn't definitive on whether the midfielder will be sticking around, he did say his squad is full of players who aren't up to the standard required, especially when looking to close the gap to champions Manchester Cit.

"I trust some more than others that can bridge that gap," he said, per Wheeler. "I worked with the players for a couple of years. I know them better than anyone. Of course, some of the players I am totally convinced are going to make it. Some others, I have good hopes that they are going to make it. And some others, I don't believe they are going to make it."

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Mourinho's comments were made days after United's loss at Brighton & Hove Albion in the Premier League, following which the manager was particularly scathing about some of his players, per BBC Match of the Day:

While there are definitely players within the United squad who would benefit from moves, it's tough to put Pogba in that bracket.

The Frenchman can be frustrating, although when he is in full flow, he can be the team's driving force. On occasion, Pogba does need to be accommodated, but his physicality, technique and inventiveness make it worth building a side around him.

As Mark Ogden of ESPN FC noted, there is a lackadaisical streak in the midfielder's play that can upset some supporters:

Still, he's by no means the biggest of United's issues, and it seems as though Mourinho wants to keep him around.

United's squad contains some wonderful footballers, although far too often this season, that talent has not translated into exciting performances.

Mourinho is heading into his third offseason as United boss and has spent big in each of the past two summer transfer windows to try to craft a side to fit his blueprint. After this summer, excuses over personnel won't resonate, meaning it's crucial the club makes smart moves.