Manchester United are in need of a change ahead of the upcoming season and that much is clear. Rumours have been swirling around regarding a big-money move away for an unsettled Paul Pogba and the consequential signing of Jadon Sancho that could be facilitated by the resulting influx of funds.
Paul Pogba has stated he’s ready for a “new challenge” at a different club recently and Real Madrid or former club Juventus are the potential suitors that may be willing to fork out the money for the Frenchman.
Ed Woodward has set the price tag way over the £100 million mark though, but do the two haggling clubs deem Pogba worthy enough of this high fee? It is clear that the club will not sell if they do not make more than they originally paid for the creative midfielder so either club will be forced to pay.
Borussia Dortmund and England super-youngster Jadon Sancho is not so much a replacement for Pogba, but he would likely be one of the first players that Solskjaer tries to buy if the Pogba sale goes through. Woodward’s desire to keep Pogba is currently the spanner in the works – but is it in United’s interests to get rid of Pogba and spend the money on the young England star?
Why would Manchester United want Sancho so badly?
Considering Sancho is probably the most talked about teenage English footballer of the past year, the London born star would be a welcome addition to any Premier League club. The winger was born on the turn of the new millennium and has already demonstrated his ability on the international stage with the England senior team.
With the completed signing of Aaron Wan-Bissaka last week there seems to be a demand for youth at the club and another new prodigy to work around could be the breath of fresh air that United are looking for – a link up between Sancho and Marcus Rashford would also be invaluable if allowed time to develop. On top of this, seasoned individuals like Romelu Lukaku and Alexis Sanchez, as well as Pogba, have demonstrated that self-desire and expectation are not always fulfilled at Old Trafford.
With this in mind, Sancho is a highly talented player who could potentially mould himself around a team already in place. The problem with this is that, if Pogba leaves, United would lose a chunk of their current identity in a team that has had something of an existential crisis over the last few years. Sancho’s role in the team would arguably be that of a cog in a machine whose underlying parts don’t work efficiently anymore.
Having said this, Sancho is likely to have a much more refreshing attitude than that of Pogba, who is a prime example of the consequences that can come from having an ego that can undermine your ability. Pogba shined on the world stage leaving no one questioning his skill but as a sporadic club captain at United, his propensity to not always give his best leaves fans extremely frustrated.
The skill that Sancho possesses would undoubtedly contribute to the squad. The 19-year-old is an adept dribbler and is incredibly creative when playing the ball forward with either long or short balls. In this respect, he is more of a wide midfielder than a winger as such, and could thus introduce a new style of play for Solskjaer to work on.
Considering the Englishman is only 19, his records do the talking. 12 goals and 14 assists in 34 Bundesliga appearances are reason enough for the hype and attraction from clubs such as United.
Why would Manchester United want to get rid of Pogba?
United chairman Ed Woodward seems keen on keeping the Frenchman at Old Trafford this summer. Other than his talent, the amount of money from merchandise that can be made from Pogba’s name is enough reason to keep hold of him. Obviously, as a businessman, Woodward has seen the opportunity to skyrocket the price tag and still see some bids come in from the best clubs in Europe yet if the deal doesn’t come through then so be it.
This is probably a smart move from the chairman – he realises that big clubs like Juventus or Real Madrid can fork out large sums of money for a player who is pretty high maintenance. However, Pogba is a talented midfielder who has a crucial part to play at United; so if a deal is not made, then the Red Devils will keep hold of an integral part of their squad.
Having said this, getting rid of Pogba would be a big weight shredded in some fans’ eyes. The 26-year-old has huge wage demands that are not always reflected on the pitch. On his day, Pogba is one of the best in the world but on an off day, he struggles to influence a match. Because a change is needed at United, perhaps allowing Pogba to leave would open the gateway for a few new players to take centre stage.
Jadon Sancho seems to be the favourite to join the club if Pogba leaves, but since they are both quite different players, Solskjaer will likely want to splash out on a central midfielder to fill Pogba’s boots. Fred may be able to do a good job in this area, but the midfield could certainly do with being bolstered if Pogba were to leave.
One question that needs to be asked is if Pogba is a player United can afford to let go? With players like Sanchez taking up the wage bill and players in the midfield like Nemanja Matic who could be sold for a decent price, this leaves the idea that United could make the money to purchase Sancho while still keeping hold of an instrumental player.
On top of all this, there is the small matter in the fact that Pogba strongly hinted he is looking to move elsewhere this summer. Keeping an unsettled player at a club against his will rarely ends well, and selling to another club may be the sensible option for Solskjaer.
If the deal were to go through, it could be a stepping stone for a long line of changes that may be implemented to try and achieve Champions League football once again next year. Having said this, there is still a long way to go in this window and the future of the Frenchman is far from over.
