5 players Manchester United can target to replace Paul Pogba

Solskjaer wants Pogba to stay for another year

Players Manchester United can target to replace Paul Pogba?

Players Manchester United can target to replace Paul Pogba? The Paul Pogba conundrum at Manchester United gained a totally different dimension after Mino Raiola confirmed his client’s desire to leave the club. The Frenchman has faced harsh opprobrium for having a bittersweet campaign and looks to be at the end of his tether at Old Trafford. As such, giants like Real Madrid and Juventus are already circling the playmaker.

Although United have made it clear that they do not want to sell Pogba, the Red Devils would be better prepared with a shortlist in case they lose the 26-year-old this summer. Replacing Pogba is a mammoth task altogether, given the fact that he is the talisman and the face of the club from a marketing perspective.

Without further ado, let’s have a look at the five best options Manchester United can look at to replace their record signing.

#5 Isco (Real Madrid)

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is following a full-proof transfer strategy, focusing on young talents who can come and stay at the club for the long term.

The arrivals of Daniel James and Aaron Wan-Bissaka are proofs that the Norwegian isn’t keen on wasting money on marquee signings and readymade players.

Isco doesn’t quite fit Solskjaer’s requirements – but here’s the deal. Real Madrid are ready to offer £72m plus either one of Gareth Bale or Isco in lieu for Pogba. If Real Madrid have actually tabled such an offer, Isco is the more logical option to go with, given the fact that he is more of a like-to-like replacement for the Frenchman.

A separate attempt to entice Isco to Old Trafford would easily cost over £100m, but with Zidane looking to offload the Spaniard, signing him would be a coup in itself.

Coming to his style of play, the 27-year-old can operate in a variety of positions, predominantly on the left, albeit he is also well-adept playing centrally. Isco would bring a plethora of creativity in the middle of the park, as his numbers suggest.

The Spaniard notched 89.1% of passing accuracy and 1.2 key passes per game last season. He also provided 1.9 long balls on average last season; he is also skilled at holding on to the ball and dribbling past the players.

Getting Isco in a cash-plus-player deal would be a bargain, given the plethora of experience he will bring to the club.

#4 James Maddison (Everton)

Everton midfielder James Maddison has been on the radar Manchester United in this transfer season. The Toffees want a sum in the region of £60m to part ways with the Englishman. Maddison also fits into Solskjaer’s requirements, who is looking to build a team around a core of British players.

The 22-year-old has a long list of positives to add to United’s midfield. 2.2 long balls per game, 1.8 crosses per game, 2.7 key passes per game, 84% passing accuracy; no wonder Maddison would be the gem of Solskjaer’s juggernaut if United manage to sign him this summer. The Englishman also has ample experience in the position Pogba plays in at Old Trafford, in the sense that he could directly replace the Frenchman if he arrives.
Adding a cherry on the cake, the Red Devils will also get a skilled free-kick taker in Maddison.

For a £60m price tag, the 22-year-old is as good as a bargain and United should go all out to bring him to Old Trafford before the next season commences.

#3 Kai Havertz (Bayern Leverkusen)

We need to talk about this guy. Considering the kind of players Manchester United have been targeting, its a big surprise they haven’t yet turned their eyes to this sensational German youngster.

First thing first, Havertz set the Bundesliga alight with his phenomenal performances, scoring 17 goals in 34 league games for Bayer Leverkusen. Only Robert Lewandowski and Paco Alcacer managed to surpass him in terms of total goals scored last season.

Havertz notched a passing accuracy of 87.2% and 2.2 long balls per game. All these numbers coming from a lad who is just 19!
Bayern Munich tried to poach the youngster this summer but were warded off after Leverkusen slapped a £100m price tag on their prized asset. The German club are adamant on letting Havertz go this summer, but if United can find a way to make both the parties happy, the deal will no doubt be worth it.

#2 Sergej Milinkovic-Savic (Lazio)

Sergej Milinkovic-Savic is at the top of United’s wishlist right after Mino Raiola confirmed Paul Pogba’s intentions to leave this summer. Not only that, the papers also churned out stories saying the Lazio officials were in London to discuss a move for the player with United.

The Serbian was also on the Red Devils’ radar last season, but the club decided against signing him given the fact that Lazio had quoted more than £100m to part ways with him. Now, after a substandard season in the Serie A, the Biancocelesti are ready to accept as little as £72m for Savic.

Coming to his style of play, the 24-year-old is a robust midfielder with a bunch of attributes ro boast about. The most striking of those is his menacing presence in the air; Savic manages to win 3.4 aerial duels on an average. He takes an average of 2.3 shots on goal and provides 1.5 key passes per game.
As good as he is on the attacking front, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic is also equally good at defensive contribution and has a better work-ethic than Paul Pogba.

It remains to be seen if Ed Woodward and co. manage to rope him in this summer, as he represents the ideal prospect to replace the Frenchman at Old Trafford.

#1 Bruno Fernandes (Sporting CP)

And now we talk about the player probably every Man United fan has been pining to see in the famous red shirt. Bruno Fernandes has developed into a phenomenal player, scoring 32 goals and registering 18 assists in all competitions for Sporting CP and helped Portugal win the UEFA Nations League this summer.

Every Red Devils supporter must certainly have checked him out on Youtube, and his stats say pretty much the truth about how he plays. He is capable of functioning in deeper positions on either flank as well as in the center.

Fernandes provides 3.9 long balls per game and 1.9 crosses per game. He also notches 2.9 key passes per game and the fact that he gets fouled 2.2 times on an average every game tells the kind of menacing midfielder that he is. He also takes 3.4 shots on an average per game.

Bruno Fernandes is available for a bargain price of £55m and United are presently the only club interested in his signature.
If they make haste and rope him in, the Red Devils could have their own Frank Lampard to watch and savour.

Source: Whoscored.com