Real Madrid Transfers: 5 players you shouldn’t get your hopes up for

Manchester United CM Paul Pogba

I think at this point, most Madridistas have come to grips with the fact that the Paul Pogba ship has sailed. If it were Zinedine Zidane’s dream to bring the French midfielder to the Santiago Bernabeu, then that dream has well and truly been put to rest without the 1998 World Cup hero managing Los Merengues.

Pogba can be so much more than what we have seen at Manchester United. He is an example of a great player who was wasted by the Red Devils, just as Romelu Lukaku was before he went to Inter Milan and led them to a Scudetto as Serie A’s best player. And yes, Pogba would also benefit from a move back to Serie A, perhaps to his old stomping grounds in Turin.

Real Madrid, though? Not only do they like what they have in Eduardo Camavinga and Fede Valverde, but they are well and truly pushing onward with the youth movement in midfield. In addition to prospect Antonio Blanco, who is a favorite of fans, Real have serious interest in Aurelien Tchouameni. He is definitely the best option in midfield. 

His French midfield compatriot is an afterthought now. As a Mino Raiola client, Pogba is going to be too expensive for Real, and they just don’t have use for a midfielder who is not known for his pressing or defending. He is not inadequate, but with his injuries, he needs to focus on attacking and the grace of play he can bring. Pogba is a unique player and could be a top 10 player again, but that final push to return to greatness would have to come somewhere else in Europe.