Real Madrid have been linked to three star free agents for the 2022 summer transfer window. The first is center back Antonio Rudiger, the second midfielder Paul Pogba, and the third is superstar forward Kylian Mbappe.
While Mbappe remains a priority and Rudiger still appears to be on Florentino Perez’s wishlist, Los Blancos are reportedly no longer interested in Manchester United star Pogba. MARCA’s Jose Felix Diaz reports that Real is no longer planning on signing Pogba. They would prefer to make their financial investments elsewhere.
Let’s take a look at three reasons why this approach would be best for Real Madrid, despite Pogba’s obvious quality and the allure of having him play with Karim Benzema and Mbappe at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Save the money
Real Madrid are not short on cash. After all, they tried to sign Kylian Mbappe for 200 million euros this past summer. Furthermore, Los Blancos will recover a significant amount of money in wage space from the departures of Isco, Gareth Bale, and Marcelo this summer. Eden Hazard could be out, too, if a suitor is found.
However, Real also have even bigger ambitions with who they want to sign in the summer. Mbappe will be a free transfer, but he will cost a ton in wages. The same goes for Erling Haaland, who will be even more expensive when you factor in agent fees and the lump-sum release clause to Borussia Dortmund.
Real want to make upgrades across the squad. Paying Pogba a high wage and Mino Raiola a massive agent fee as a bonus would get in the way of that. That money could be spent on a young midfielder like Aurelien Tchouameni, or it could be spent on a more necessary position like center back or right back.
Real Madrid already have Luka Modric and Toni Kroos
Where would Paul Pogba play at Real Madrid? He cannot be a regista, because that position cannot be accommodated by Los Merengues in a central role. And Real already have a more consistent deep playmaker in Toni Kroos. Sure, Pogba has more of an eye for the killer pass and is capable of the spectacular, but he cannot control games week after week like the current Madrid No. 8.
Furthermore, Real still have a world-class midfielder on the right side of the formation. Luka Modric. While he is older than Kroos and now not as dominant, the former Ballon d’Or winner remains one of the classiest players on the planet. As we have seen in recent weeks, when he is on the pitch with Casemiro and Kroos, all bets are off.
Modric, despite being 36 to Pogba’s 28, is a more consistent player than the man who beat him in a World Cup Final. Lukita is better at carrying the ball and defending, and that means a lot to Real Madrid on the right side of the formation.
These two players are bedrocks of the Merengue club. They fit the team perfectly, both in ethos and in tactics. Modric has one more year of starting left in him, and Kroos is somehow at is peak at 31. Pogba isn’t displacing either of them. Why pay more than 10 million euros in wages a year on someone who isn’t even going to start? That doesn’t seem like a smart business move.
Not ideal for the future of the squad
The hegemony of Luka Modric, Toni Kroos, and Casemiro is one that no Madridista would complain about, because this triumvirate remains the cream of the crop in European football. However, even the most ardent supporters of this legendary trio would say that more opportunities should be afforded to the trio of players coming up behind them: Fede Valverde, Eduardo Camavinga, and Antonio Blanco.
As it is, these three players are finding it hard to get consistent minutes. Throw in Pogba, and it would become even more difficult for Los Merengues to accommodate three players who can hold the keys to Madrid in five years’ time. That would send a bad message to other young players hoping to join Real Madrid. You don’t want to be known as the club that hoards young talent but doesn’t give them opportunities.
Valverde is already a more reliable player than Pogba, even if his upside is lower on the attacking end. Real Madrid need someone like him and his ability to recover the ball. We all know about his love for the club and his propensity for coming up big in derbies.
As for Camavinga, the 2021 summer signing can become the best midfielder in the world. At the age of 18, the newest member of the squad has the world in his hands. He just needs the opportunities.
Blanco is intriguing. He reminds Madridistas of Xabi Alonso, having dazzled at the end of last season in a revenge-inspired win over Cadiz. That comparison alone should clue you into his talent and the reputation he could build at the Bernabeu.
All three of these players have more to give in five years than an injury-prone 28-year-old. And if there is any reason that has sealed Pogba’s fate and made Real Madrid look the other way, then it is this one. The youth are the future. They are the answer.