Since Zinedine Zidane’s appointment three weeks ago, there has been an air of optimism around the Real Madrid camp as well as speculation around who will come next summer and who will leave. Could Paul Pogba leave England for Spain?
Zidane has his own aura thanks to his career as a player where he inspired a lot of youngsters and is still idolized by millions. This Zizou factor is already attracting players like Eden Hazard and Pogba who have said before they would love playing for him.
“Like I’ve always said, Real Madrid is a dream for anyone. It’s one of the biggest clubs in the world,” Pogba said in France’s pre-Moldova press conference. “There is also Zidane as a coach and it’s a dream for anybody who likes football.”
This started a big transfer rumor chain with Ndombele and Adrien Rabiot being linked to Madrid as well. The main question here is does Real Madrid need another midfielder or the money is better off investing in other areas?
Real Madrid’s midfield depth chart includes Toni Kroos, Casemiro, Luka Modric, Dani Ceballos, Marcos Llorente, Isco, and Fede Valverde right now. That’s seven midfielders fighting for three spots and in the starting rotation.
On top of those seven, Mateo Kovacic will be back this summer to add more depth to the midfield. Martin Ødegaard is another name that will be back this summer but he has mostly played as a winger at Vitesse.
Signing Paul Pogba would be totally unnecessary unless there are some names that are going to leave this summer. Kovacic looking at his attitude since leaving for Chelsea seems likely to be sold unless Zidane can assure him a place in the starting lineup. Luka Modric is another name may get sold given he is going to turn 34 this September. Real Madrid would need a world-class replacement for the Ballon d’Or winner. Kovacic was tipped to do that, but his loan spell at Chelsea has been disappointing.
Paul Pogba is not alike for like replacement of Luka Modric, but the Frenchman is much more suited in a box to box role. Pogba’s game also shows up in the statistics as he is a good shooter of the ball and scores some great long-range goals and apart from being directly involved in creating chances.
Luka Modric is a player who takes more of a backseat and loves to dictate the game. He doesn’t care much about statistics and his game may not show up when judged against the goals or assists but his ability to keep the game flowing and break the opposition press with dribbling is what makes him so crucial to Real Madrid.
Pogba would be a good addition to the midfield and would also help cover for Ronaldo’s goals. Pogba is an elite dribbler and is probably the best at picking out attacking runs. He has been phenomenal under Ole Gunnar Solkjaer and is thriving under the attack-minded manager.
The signing of Paul Pogba would be totally welcomed by Madrid fans despite all the flak he has gotten since signing for Manchester United. He has proven to be a great player and more so in the crucial games of the season.
The only weakness has been his inability to perform consistently. The signing though will come at a significant cost as Ed Woodward is not an easy man to deal with. We all remember the whole David De Gea saga four years ago.