Assessing Where Paul Pogba Should Be Playing His Football in 2019/20

Paul Pogba's Manchester United future is hanging very finely in the balance, with the French midfielder making no secret of the fact that he could be on the move this summer, three years on from his Old Trafford return.


He understandably has plenty of suitors who would all be interested in snapping him up, but it appears that Real Madrid and Juventus are the strongest two candidates - with a stay at United still potentially being on the cards.

With that in mind, here's an assessment of where ​Pogba should be playing his football next season.


How He Fits In

Manchester United​

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer,Paul Pogba

It doesn't take a footballing expert to understand that Pogba is the star of the show at ​Manchester United - a position he has held ever since he triumphantly returned to the Red Devils back in 2016. Irrespective of their tactical approach or overarching footballing philosophy, if Pogba is fit then Pogba always has to feature.

However, he hasn't ever been able to consistently reach the level of performance expected of a player with his sort of reputation, with his alarming dip in form at the back end of the 2018/19 season demonstrating that, when things aren't necessarily going his way, he struggles to raise his game accordingly.  


His World Cup performances with France demonstrated that he hasn't lost his touch, so something is clearly wrong at United and it's unlikely to change anytime soon. 

Real Madrid

FBL-ESP-LIGA-RAYO-REAL MADRID

In many respects, ​Real Madrid's 2018/19 campaign was even more disastrous than Manchester United's, with plenty of previously reliable players failing to reach the same heights as years gone by. The likes of Casemiro, Toni Kroos and Luka Modric all flattered to deceive for Los Blancos, which opens the door for a marquee signing to line up in midfield next season. If recent reports are to be believed, then that player could easily be Pogba.

He's exactly the sort of midfielder Real Madrid are crying out for - at least when he is in top form - as they don't currently possess anyone whose technical ability is matched by their athleticism. If Real are to install a fresh brand of bombastic, attacking football, then Pogba could easily be the man to help deliver it.

Juventus

Maurizio Sarri

​Juventus currently have a multi-talented squad at their disposal that have been irrepressibly dominant in Italy over the past few seasons, but that doesn't mean they can afford to stand still this summer. They've already brought in Maurizio Sarri to take over the reins, so it remains to be seen how the Italian will stamp his authority on the squad. 


We know that he likes to have a passing technician at the base of a midfield three, with his other midfielders doing the leg work in the channels. Pogba could certainly fit in, but he doesn't necessarily jump out as the sort of player Sarri would want to have to deal with - especially as he fell out with a number of high profile players during his ill-fated spell with Chelsea.


Evaluation


Overall, Pogba is most likely to fit in at Real Madrid, given the fact that Los Blancos are currently desperate to bolster their current midfield options. United also have their eye on Bruno Fernandes and Tanguy Ndombele as potential Pogba replacements and Maurizio Sarri may have serious reservations over an approach for the 26-year-old.


Future of Respective Club


Manchester United

Ed Woodward

Manchester United were at 'crisis' point about 200 times in 2018/19 and they finished the season in a lowly sixth position, light years behind Premier League pace setters Manchester City and Liverpool. Big changes are expected this summer and a squad overhaul is on the cards - raising questions over Pogba's position at the club.

The Red Devils are going to have to raise some funds from somewhere if they are to afford the countless players they have already been linked to and selling Pogba, who remains their most valuable asset, seems like the most logical decision for both parties.


Real Madrid

FBL-ESP-BEL-REAL MADRID

Real Madrid don't respond to failure lightly. In fact, Los Blancos have been the busiest club in Europe so far this summer, having already confirmed five big money signings - including Eden Hazard and Luka Jovic. That signals serious intent for next season and, while it may initially be difficult to gel together a cohesive unit, Real could have an incredibly talented squad at their disposal.

It must be noted, however, that Real Madrid are an utterly bonkers club and they don't exactly have a brilliant track record of getting things right behind the scenes.There is every chance that they will continue to spend as much money as they are physically able to, only to fall well short of Barcelona again next season. It could be a risky move on Pogba's part.

Juventus

FBL-ITA-SERIEA-JUVENTUS-ATALANTA

Stability is one of Juventus' biggest strengths. It could be argued that they lack genuine opposition in Italy, but the fact that they have utterly dominated the domestic scene over the past few years indicates that I Bianconeri know exactly what they are doing.

If Pogba joins Juventus, then he'll be moving to a club which can guarantee silverware and that isn't something either of the other two clubs can offer - for the time being at least. Juventus don't necessarily have an ageing squad who won't be able to sustain success either, with youngsters such as Moise Kean and Rodrigo Bentancur indicating that the future is seriously bright.

Evaluation

Juventus are the most stable of the three and their recent rack record exemplifies the fact that they know how to win - even if they have fallen short on the European scene. United are understandably looking to start from scratch (how that goes remains to be seen) and Real are, well, Real.


Personal Brand


Manchester United

FBL-ENG-PR-MAN UTD-CARDIFF

We've heard it all before. Pogba is the most marketable player in the world. But how much longer can he remain the most marketable player in the world, while he continues to disappoint for a team that no longer holds the same global stature as they did a few years ago?


A move away from Old Trafford makes sense for a lot of reasons, with his commercial interests being one of the most prominent.


Real Madrid

FBL-ESP-FRA-REAL MADRID

Real remain the highest revenue generating team in football, so it's easy to see what Pogba would stand to gain if he opted to make the switch from Manchester to Madrid this summer. 

We've already seen the sort of attention Hazard has received since he joined Los Blancos and it's easy to see Pogba's arrival being treated with even more fanfare. Of course, his brand (and ego) don't need to grow any further, but you can be sure that it would.

Juventus

Paul Pogba

It would be very interesting to see what would happen if Pogba does make a return to Juventus, as the club, while being undeniably influential, don't necessarily sit in that top bracket of marketable sides.

Last year's arrival of Cristiano Ronaldo did help to change that, but it's hard to see the Portuguese superstar hanging around for too much longer. Moving to United from Juventus was seen as a step up, so would the same be the case if the roles were reversed?

Evaluation

Real are the clear winners in this area, as Pogba's United relationship is faltering and Juventus aren't able to command the same sort of financial influence as Los Blancos.


Overall

Based on squad options, future plans and marketability, Real Madrid appear to be the best option on offer for Pogba - though that can of course all change over the coming months.

Pogba's future will remain uncertain right up until a definitive decision is made either way, so expect to witness plenty of twists and turns before the summer is up.


Source : 90min