Manchester City legend urges club to make controversial free signing

LISBON, PORTUGAL - NOVEMBER 05: Pep Guardiola, Manager of Manchester City, looks on during the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 League Phase MD4 match between Sporting Clube de Portugal and Manchester City at Estadio Jose Alvalade on November 05, 2024 in Lisbon, Portugal. (Photo by Gualter Fatia/Getty Images)
Man City manager Pep Guardiola (Image credit: Getty Images)

Manchester City have been told to consider making a controversial free signing by club legend Shaun Wright-Phillips.

With Pep Guardiola's side struggling for form in all competitions at the moment, Wright-Phillips believes that the club could use as much help as possible for the second half of the season.

If a deal is concluded it might cause some controversy among Manchester City fans, however, as Wright-Phillips discusses the addition of quality.

Manchester City told to sign Paul Pogba

Paul Pogba during his time at Manchester United as Manchester City are linked

Wright-Phillips thinks City should move for Pogba (Image credit: Getty Images)

"You can't really take away the talent that the Paul Pogba’s got," Wright-Phillips told sportscasting.com. "I think it's wrong for people just to assume, ‘OK, he's had his bad time, he's just gone as a player.’ He's still quite young. I've seen him, he still looks trim and in shape.

"I think if you can get him fit, the ability that he has - if you can get him working and defending - the ability he has going forward in terms those raking passes that he can play, the goals that he can score or the skills that he can do, if you can get him where he needs to be quickly, I think it'd be a plus for a lot of clubs in the Premier League, especially with the amount of games the top four have to play. It'd be massive.

Shaun Wright-Phillips Phil Foden England Manchester City

Wright-Phillips enjoyed two spells at Man City (Image credit: Getty Images)

"Paul Pogba could be an important player for any of the top clubs in the Premier League."

Former Manchester United midfielder Pogba recently admitted that he could have signed for Manchester City when his contract at Old Trafford expired in 2022, but he instead decided to move back to Juventus.

The Frenchman is available on a free transfer after mutually agreeing to terminate his contract at Juventus in November, however, after being banned for 18 months for a failed drugs test.

Pogba is allowed to return to full training from January 2025, though, with his involvement in competitive matches allowed from March 2025. The 31-year-old could present a key player for Manchester City upon his return, with the side's midfield seriously struggling following the injury to Rodri.

Ryan Dabbs
Staff writer

Ryan is a staff writer for FourFourTwo, joining the team full-time in October 2022. He first joined Future in December 2020, working across FourFourTwo, Golf Monthly, Rugby World and Advnture's websites, before eventually earning himself a position with FourFourTwo permanently. After graduating from Cardiff University with a degree in Journalism and Communications, Ryan earned a NCTJ qualification to further develop as a writer while a Trainee News Writer at Future.