Paul Pogba is making the headlines yet again for all the wrong reasons in the spring break before the season starts. As he has been reported saying this summer could be 'a great time for a test elsewhere'. His infamous agent, Mino Raiola somehow wants him to move away as well and United fans thought the same when Pogba was still in the USA when the team started their practice at the Carrington Grounds, only to be joined by Pogba in the pre-season tour to Australia. So, as it stands, Manchester United need to begin anticipating their upcoming season without Paul Pogba.
Paul Pogba signed for United’s youth team in 2011 from La Havre in France. He rose through the ranks and got his debut in all the various cups across Europe under Sir Alex’s guidance who stated that "I mean if we hold Pogba back, what's going to happen? He's going to leave. You know, in a couple of years' time when his contract is going to finish. So we have to give him the opportunity to see how he can do in the first-team and he's got the great ability." Eventually, he didn’t sign a contract with United after that and moved on a free transfer to Juventus where he showed his class and won 4 Italian leagues and a pair of Italian Cups. Eventually, Jose Mourinho signed him back in the 2016-17 season where he was good for the club and helped the club win the Europa League and complete the trophy cabinet. But fallouts with the manager and certain attitude problems coupled with tactical ineffectiveness resulted in the board sacking Mourinho to accommodate Paul and other players who had a fallout with Jose.
With the new manager Ole Gunner Solskjaer, Pogba was seen with a revival in his form as he scored twice consecutively against Huddersfield Town. Even though the team performed below par, Paul Pogba scored 13 league goals and 16 goals in total to make the season sort of success for him. Pogba’s numbers per 90 minutes for the last season are as follows. For non-penalty goals (0.18), assists (0.27), passes into the final third (27.19), key passes from open play (1.62), dribbles (1.79), dribble success (65.2%) and tackles (1.41).
Paul Pogba
With regards to transfers, Ole Gunnar Solskjær has made it obvious he needs the club to move far from the model that has failed in the last six years. The manager believes he needs to acquire youthful, hungry players whose wages won't be a toll on the club’s financial crisis. This has been in the recent signings of Aaron Wan Bissaka and Daniel James. Things being what they are, who might be able to fill the void if Pogba leaves? With Ander Herrera leaving on a free there’s already a vicious gap that’s left to be filled by Ole. Both Real Madrid and Juventus have been linked with Pogba lately and United have apparently told both of the suitors that the right price lies around £150m to get an opportunity of landing Pogba.
In the occasion that Paul Pogba leaves the Old Trafford this window, Manchester United will make a move for either Tottenham's Christian Eriksen or Borussia Dortmund's Jadon Sancho if Paul Pogba winds up leaving.
Christian Eriksen will demonstrate to be practically a like-for-like swap for Pogba. The Dane might not have the defensive input of the Frenchman but rather is a vastly improved attacking astute. He has been touted to move far from London this late spring and join a greater club. Given the number of years Eriksen still has up his sleeve and the not so exorbitant wage demand, Eriksen might just be the next Attacking Midfielder United requires.
Jadon Sancho, more suited on the wings, won't be an immediate trade for the FIFA World Cup winner. He will rather be a signing of a comparative caliber, who could turn into the face of the club throughout the following years. The youngster has grown into a wonderful player in Borussia Dortmund and is ready for the step-up.
With both the kind of players needed by Manchester United during the rebuilding process it is to see if Paul Pogba deserts the team in one of the most important phases for them in the 21st Century.
