Jose Mourinho's legacy lives on at Manchester United. The last two players beckoned into the Carrington press room to sign new contracts were brought into the first-team by Mourinho and, although Nemanja Matic has regained his place from Scott McTominay, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer conceded McTominay does not deserve to start matches in the stands.
Mourinho had no intention of reuniting with Matic at Tottenham but Matic was considering his United future prior to the January window. Then McTominay left Old Trafford on crutches on Boxing Day, Paul Pogba's comeback was botched and Matic was elevated back into the first-team.
Since Matic's one-man fire brigade doused the flames in the second-half of the League Cup humbling by City, the 31-year-old has been insturmental. "Matic and Fred, they are incredible players, Matic is an outstanding player," Pep Guardiola purred after the return leg that Matic decided with an adroit volley.
Jesse Lingard got a verbal volley that night. "Do that again and you're f-----g off," Solskjaer warned Lingard. He has started three times since - twice in the FA Cup and once in the Europa League - and been omitted from four Premier League matchday squads.
Lingard has technically entered the last year of his contract and the plus-one option open to United is of little significance. It is actually hard to imagine Lingard starting for United again, bar the return leg against LASK Linz, a tie of the competition winners variety.
United have no room for Lingard in a bloated squad of 36, including the quartet out on loan. Of the eight players out of contract next summer, they have a simple decision to make with each: release, sell, or extend.
Lingard's stock has plummeted to such fathoms a sale has to be considered this year before his valuation falls further. Timothy Fosu-Mensah was fortunate to have his contract extended and, unless he moves on in either of the next two windows, has to be released. The maligned Marcos Rojo and lingering Joel Pereira cannot be allowed to siphon for another year. Lee Grant could move upstairs to the coaches' offices.
Juan Mata and Sergio Romero are worthy squad members but their circumstances are bound to be impacted by United's recruitment over the next year. Of the eight with a June 30 2021 expiry date, the only priority is Paul Pogba.
United have safeguarded themselves with the plus-one policy Ed Woodward introduced and only been in the invidious position of having a player angling to leave with a year left with David de Gea in 2015. Mata and Marouane Fellaini were not regulars at the time they secured new two-year terms when their deals days away from being shredded.
For the first time since the fax machine malarkey with De Gea, United could be in a similar situation with Pogba. A transfer this year appears unforeseeable post-pandemic and Pogba's performances are not just moving United up the table but taking his valuation back up into nine figures, pricing him out.
Pogba is nearing his optimum in games, United are winning and favourably placed to bring Champions League banners back to Old Trafford. Yet Pogba is still represented by Mino Raiola, Zinedine Zidane is still the Real Madrid coach and Pogba has long pined to play in Spain.
If Pogba is still on United's books and on his present deal this time next year, his valuation will have slumped, irrespective of form. The power is always with the player once they have entered the last two years of a contract and United have some convincing to do if they are to keep Pogba beyond 2022.
They would happily give him parity with the £300,000-a-week De Gea, probably more if they can purge the squad of some six-figure weekly earners who have outstayed their welcomes. United are too far gone with Pogba to take a principled stance; they have kowtowed to a talent who has undermined two managers and it would be hollow of Pogba - knowingly offered to Manchester City in 2018 - to commit his future to a club he tried to leave.
Pogba last year opined 'it could be a good time to have a new challenge somewhere else', a quote United have attempted to airbrush from history and not mentioned on the club's Pravda podcast with Pogba. Raiola was 'sorry' he did not engineer a transfer to Madrid and Pogba was coincidentally photographed with Zidane in Dubai this season.
Bruno Fernandes has shown United can cope without Pogba but they are a superior side with both and Pogba prevented the end of the unbeaten run at Tottenham. If Pogba refuses to budge - and Raiola alluded to an arrangement with Solskjaer - the compromise might be Pogba adds to his medals this season, sees out next season with United playing in the Champions League and going for the Premier League title, and then Madrid.
United without Pogba would appeal to Mourinho.
