Real Madrid have an advantage over the other 2 Paul Pogba competitors

Real Madrid will prioritize signing Kylian Mbappe on a free transfer in the summer 2022 transfer window, but the PSG star is far from the only high-profile name on Florentino Perez’s wishlist.

Paul Pogba is a name who has been on Real’s radar for years, dating back to when Zinedine Zidane was urging the club to sign the generational passing talent in midfield. Zizou knows Pogba has the creative chops to let the goals fly in Madrid, though acquiring him was not feasible for Real due to Manchester United’s high asking price.

Next summer, if Pogba does not re-sign with United, Real Madrid can have him for free. And there is a great deal of optimism that Los Blancos can ink the Mino Raiola client. Pogba is not the only man on the list of midfield targets, as young French midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni is a priority target, too. But because Pogba would be out of contract, the more established name would also be cheaper.

Aside from possibly re-signing with United, other competition exists here. According to a report from MARCA’s Pablo Polo, Juventus and PSG are the other two options for Paul Pogba, aside from hopping to Real Madrid or staying with the Premier League side.

Real Madrid would have the most appealing project with Mbappe

Juve and PSG are thoroughly unsurprising competitors. The Old Lady signed Manuel Locatelli this summer, but they could very much use more midfield help. Pogba would immediately be their best player, with all due respect to Federico Chiesa and friends, and he certainly knows his way around Turin, having reached a Champions League final for them. The Bianconeri could actually afford him, since he would be a free transfer. But will they be able to boast Champions League football? That is the key question.

We know PSG will have Champions League football in the bag, and they can offer the most money. They do not, however, have the prestige of Juve or Real. I am not sure Pogba would want to deal with the leadership at PSG, though the money and the prospect of playing with a powerhouse club in France could sway him. Even without Mbappe, PSG could still be a force to be reckoned with.

But with Mbappe most likely at Real Madrid, the Royal Whites would be clear favorites over the others in terms of their sporting project. Of course, it isn’t just about Mbappe, as brilliant as he is. Karim Benzema is another familiar face to Pogba, and, maybe more importantly, is the current best player on the planet, leading everyone in goal contributions here in 2021-2022. The dream trio may be too tempting for Pogba to resist.

Factor in the best goalkeeper in the world in Thibaut Courtois, David Alaba at center back, more dreamy midfielders like Toni Kroos and Eduardo Camavinga, and the rising Vinicius Junior in the attack, and you have more than a handful of appealing pieces for Pogba to work with in the short and long term.

PSG and Juventus can offer Pogba plenty, but Real Madrid seem to have that little bit extra. They can offer Pogba enough financially, they can offer him his friends, they can offer him a great sporting project, and they can offer him the utmost prestige. And it’s no secret that in the past, Pogba wanted Real, too. Even without Zinedine Zidane, surely that dream is still intact.