Assessing Paul Pogba's transfer options with Real Madrid and PSG possible landing spots

Chris Bailey 12:28 17/04/2018
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  • Paul Pogba's future at United may not be so certain.

    Paul Pogba’s future at Old Trafford is more unclear than ever after more reports that the Frenchman could be on his way out of Manchester United this summer.

    According to the Daily Mail, Jose Mourinho is ready to cut ties with the mercurial midfielder – despite his match-winning heroics in the Manchester derby earlier this month.

    Pogba is all peaks and troughs and though he hit the heights against Manchester City, he was yanked off shortly after half-time in the dismal defeat against West Brom that handed United’s bitter rivals the title.

    The 25-year-old’s talent is in no question – but which team would be willing to take on a player who will still command something like the £89 million fee he was bought for?

    REAL MADRID

    A team that has mighty high expectations but has flattered to deceive at many points this year – on the face of it Real Madrid and Pogba go hand-in-hand.

    There is little doubt that Los Blancos will be causing a wave – if not a tsunami – in the transfer market this year, as keeping the status quo has seen them fall drastically behind in La Liga this season.

    In midfield is where much of Real’s problems stem from. Toni Kroos has looked like a relative passenger for much of the year and Luka Modric, at 32, will need more rotation as his physical powers wane.

    There’s no like-for-like fit, though. Remove Kroos and you remove a key part of Real’s possession retention. Modric is more of a free spirit – but is Pogba an upgrade? And Casemiro’s the obvious anchor.

    Zinedine Zidane already has problems fitting an outrageous talent such as Isco into his starting XI and it’s easy to see the same issues cropping up with Pogba.

    Madrid’s pursuit of a player – ie. Robert Lewandowski – to replace Karim Benzema is also likely to take up much of their attentions this summer. Given their wage bill, dishing out dosh on multiple Galacticos per summer seems a thing of the past, too.

    LIKELIHOOD: 4/10

    PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN

    There’s no doubt what PSG are desperate for, five Ligue 1 titles in six seasons or not. It’s Champions League or bust every year until they finally win it.

    Midfield is also an obvious area for improvement for the Parisians. They’ve got their diamond-studded attack with Neymar, Edinson Cavani and Kylian Mbappe, but the fact that they needed to sign a 33-year-old Lassana Diarra midseason – last seen in the UAE with Al Jazira – only underlines the fact their stocks in that department are not overwhelming.

    They have got the players in Marco Verratti, Adrien Rabiot, Thiago Motta and indeed Diarra to sit slightly behind a free-roaming Pogba – and that combination with Neymar would be Champions League-winning material.

    Dream team: Pogba would enjoy an array of stars at PSG.

    Dream team: Pogba would enjoy an array of stars at PSG.

    The one major obstacle from stopping the Frenchman returning to his natural habitat is the cloudiness surrounding PSG’s FFP status.

    Some reports say that UEFA may come crashing down on them like a ton of bricks due to their apparent over-inflated sponsorship deal. Still, they’ve managed to bend the rules for this long …

    LIKELIHOOD: 7/10

    JUVENTUS

    After falling out of favour with Fergie, Juventus was the club that welcomed Pogba with open arms – and they’d certainly embrace him again if the opportunity presented itself.

    The Serie A giants are currently in limbo, too good for Italy yet not good enough for the Champions League. A little more star quality could give them that final push.

    What’s changed since Pogba left two years ago? Juventus possess a more menacing attack with Gonzalo Higuain and Mario Mandzukic throwing their weight around, while Douglas Costa has been a revelation since joining from Bayern Munich.

    Better call Paul:Pogba made a name for himself at Juventus.

    Better call Paul:Pogba made a name for himself at Juventus.

    Pogba’s supporting cast in midfield would have improved too, with Miralem Pjanic and Blaise Matuidi both proving hits – and that trio could strike the right balance.

    Juve could also raise cash by selling the prodigiously talented if frustrating (sound familiar) Paulo Dybala for a fee that would surely clear £100m when all is said and done.

    But would using all that cash on one player truly be the best way to freshen up an aging squad like Juve’s? Of the starting XI that so nearly knocked Real out of the Champions League, seven were aged 30 or over.

    Returning to the Old Lady also represents a step back for Pogba, with the earning power that the Premier League offers. It depends on where his priorities lie.

    LIKELIHOOD: 5/10

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