Former Manchester United coach René Meulensteen believes Paul Pogba could have developed into a different player had he remained at Old Trafford instead of joining Juventus in 2012.
Pogba left Manchester United as a teenager after failing to establish himself in Sir Alex Ferguson’s first-team squad, eventually joining Juventus before returning to Man United four years later for a then-world-record transfer fee.
However, Meulensteen believes the midfielder made the wrong decision by leaving, arguing that his development could have benefited from remaining under Ferguson.
Speaking exclusively to BestBettingSites, Meulensteen said Pogba’s decision was heavily influenced by his representatives.
Pogba regret
“If Paul has any regrets about leaving United the first time, it’s worth remembering that it wasn’t really his decision – it was an agent’s decision, pure and simple,” Meulensteen said.
“We had paved the clear pathway for Paul to come into the first-team setup, he was training with us, and Sir Alex was very clear about the plans for him because we all saw his potential.”
Meulensteen believes Pogba was ultimately advised to prioritise factors other than his footballing development.
“When agents get into a young player’s ear, they can paint a picture where another move offers a better financial package, even if it isn’t better for their footballing development,” he added.
“In my opinion, he was advised by the wrong person.”
Ronaldo an example of growth
Meulensteen also highlighted Cristiano Ronaldo’s time at Man United as an example of how Ferguson’s environment could accelerate a young player’s development.
“Ronaldo made the absolute right decision to join Manchester United when he did,” he said, pointing to the coaching and environment that prepared the Portuguese star for his eventual move to Real Madrid.
Meanwhile, Meulensteen rejected the suggestion that Wayne Rooney was already in decline by 2011, arguing that the forward simply needed to adapt as he got older.
“Players don’t decline; they just get older and have to adapt,” he said, pointing to Ryan Giggs as an example.
Meulensteen added that Rooney’s versatility allowed him to remain a vital part of Ferguson’s successful Manchester United teams.
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Michael Davey 
SportJustSport writers