Tag Archives: paul pogba

The Premier League has become the home of the most expensive transfer additions in recent years, with billions being splashed out to bring the finest talents to English football.

Despite this, English sides have failed to kick-on in their quest to conquer European football and have fallen behind the likes of Spain, Italy, Germany and even France in the race for the Champions League trophy.

The likes of Manchester United, Chelsea and Manchester City will be looking to change that next season though when they return to European action and the Premier League will boast five clubs in Europe’s elite competition, with Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur also in the running.

Spectacular fees are likely to be spent once again this summer, potentially setting world records, but we’ve moved to assemble the most expensive XI in Premier League history so far- in a set-up that’s dominated by both Manchester clubs and Chelsea.

Before we start, it’s worth noting that all fees and records are correct as of 26th June 2017 and all figures were taken from TransferMarkt.

GK: Ederson (£34m)

Signed by Manchester City from Portuguese outfit Benfica this month, the £34m price-tag for Ederson easily surpassed the previous record-figure paid by a Premier League side for a goalkeeper and was narrowly ahead of the £30m fee Everton paid for Jordan Pickford two-weeks later.

The 23-year-old Brazilian is set to become City’s first-choice goalkeeper for the forthcoming campaign after last summer’s acquisition of Claudio Bravo proved to be a failure, as the Chilean failed to live-up to expectation and endured plenty of troubles.

Chelsea weren’t meant to lose this FA Cup final. Everything was pointing towards the Blues sweeping an injury-riddled Arsenal aside having been able to rest after securing the title. Antonio Conte was going to notch the club’s second double and Arsene Wenger would be left in a muddle once again.

From the off Arsenal were far the better side. Chelsea were dominated centrally, as N’golo Kante and Nemanja Matic could not handle the quartet of Granit Xhaka, Aaron Ramsey, Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez. Conte could have seen his side fall behind by several goals and, in truth, the Blues were fortunate not be humiliated.

Whether we want to buy the ‘complacent’ narrative or see this as a renaissance for an Arsenal side that have recently embarked on a rare tactical adaptation, it was a reminder that this Chelsea incarnation are far from invincible. Impressive at their best, sure, the Blues have been flawed all too often and comparatively limped over the line this season. Defeats to Crystal Palace and Manchester United are hauntingly familiar memories, while the 93 point total still represents a remarkable achievement.

Chelsea’s squad appeared weak in August. Those weaknesses have been masked by a lack of injuries and superb management from the ever-likeable Italian manager. Those holes remain, however, and cannot be simply papered over this summer.

After other title wins, Chelsea have floundered and faffed in the transfer market. Cutting corners or pinching pennies, the Blues have left themselves in too weak a position the next season to reach their objectives or been forced to splash excessively in January.

As a Manchester arms race begins, Liverpool are linked with half the Bundesliga and Spurs’ young squad will improve, Chelsea cannot afford to lean on a roster that’s flaws have gradually reached greater prominence. It does not need to be brash, flash or brutally expensive like the spending from the northwest will be, but Chelsea’s summer is as definitive as anyone’s.

Bad team performances like Saturday’s will happen, but the club will not compete domestically or in Europe without significant additions, even if the financial burden can be lessened by the return of Andreas Christensen and Bertrand Traore from loan spells at Borussia Monchengladbach and Ajax respectively.

Tiemoue Bakayoko or Romelu Lukaku would not have avoided defeat at Wembley, but the defeat and relative indifference in 2017 should serve as a stark wake up call for a club that must be ruthless in this window.

Manchester United’s quest to win the Europa League continues in Belgium tomorrow as the Red Devils tackle Anderlecht. Here, we’ve identified the starting XI that Jose Mourinho should select.

GK: David De Gea

Manchester United’s number one has been first-choice on the team-sheet throughout the season and will remain in that position for the foreseeable future- although Real Madrid are looking to change the situation with a swoop this summer.

Whilst he can be criticised for being over dramatic at times, De Gea is one of the best young goalkeepers in the world and should be able to put in a commanding performance against Anderlecht tomorrow evening- where a clean-sheet would help the Red Devils tremendously in their aim to reach the semi-finals.

Manchester United were the highest spenders in the Premier League last summer but Jose Mourinho’s side are still short of competing for the major honours, having spent the majority of the campaign in sixth position.

Arsenal’s decline has seen the Red Devils rise to fifth, four points behind Liverpool with two games in hand, but Manchester United will be aiming for bigger and better things next season; as they eye a push for league glory and look to mount a challenge in the Champions League.

To achieve those goals, Mourinho will have to spend heavily to improve the squad once again this summer and there’s likely to be a host of holes in the squad that need filling- as the likes of Wayne Rooney, Luke Shaw and Michael Carrick are all likely to leave Old Trafford.

United have cash in abundance though and spending cash won’t be an issue for the Red Devils though and this potential XI looks phenomenal.

It was a miserable night for Manchester United as they crashed out of the FA Cup in the quarter-final of the competition.

Ander Herrera may have been the man to really let United down by picking up two silly bookings, but it was Paul Pogba who frustrated the fans most as the Frenchman once again failed to deliver in a big match.

Despite pretty much all fans saying Pogba was poor against Chelsea, Mourinho amazingly declared Pogba ‘the best player on the pitch’. There was one player that was certianly better, and that was N’Golo Kante.

The international compatriot of Pogba arrived at Chelsea for just a margin of Pogba’s fee, but Kante has been the more impressive player all season and the difference in form showed in this game. One area Pogba is perhaps regarded as being better than Kante is in attacking areas, but in this FA Cup game, Kante was even more effective than Pogba in the final third. Kante scored the only goal of the game with a long-range effort that crept past De Gea into the bottom corner.

There’s been criticism from United fans themselves, rival fans and pundits. Here’s a sample of the reaction…

Stop babying Pogba. He should be playing better and he could be deployed better. He knows the standards. Not that deep

— eOS 2.0.17 (@MrScripto) March 14, 2017

We thought hard
The Red card killed the game
Most #Mufc players should be proud.

Tbh Pogba was Shocking again

Gutted but We move on 🔴🔴🔴

— @ManUtd_HQ ⚽️ (@ManUtd_HQ) March 13, 2017

think im the only non biased united fan on this platform, pogba's been fucking shocking this season. has done fuck all. Kante >

— ㅤ (@utdbenj) March 13, 2017

Shocking how pogba is smiling hugging their gaffer after that, get some bottle and passion

— hayes (@maxhayes__) March 13, 2017

Pogba is getting so much stick, people need to realise how young he is. He is also not being used properly or in a settled system.

— Dezil Dez (@DezilDezz) March 14, 2017

Imagine the stick AW would be getting ATM paying Pogba 13m per year.

— GeoffArsenal (@GeoffArsenal) March 14, 2017

Pogba had better players around him + a positional setup for all his strengths to shine at Juve. Doesn't have 1/3 of this as Utd.

— Simeon (@SJftbl) March 14, 2017

And another miserable night for Paul Pogba - dreadful performance. Totally outshone by N'Golo Kante. Not exactly looking a bargain at £89m.

— Phil McNulty (@philmcnulty) March 14, 2017

Pogba is starting to have one too many poor performances and when you cost £89million, that is something you really cannot afford to do. The likes of Mesut Ozil do not get away with it and Ozil cost less than half of what Pogba did. He’s still young, but Pogba needs to start making the difference in the big games sooner rather than later.

I do have a bit of sympathy for Pogba on this occasion because Herrera let him down early in the game getting those two bookings. It is hard enough having to handle Kante with a fully stocked midfield, but when one gets sent off it makes it pretty much impossible. Pogba’s attacking influence was restricted and he was forced to chase the game and work hard defensively, not his forte’ to say the least.

Manchester United were victorious in the EFL Cup final on Sunday, but it didn’t stop some fans from feeling annoyed at some of the United players.

In all honesty, Southampton were probably the better team, or at least, their players performed better. A team of United’s calibre would wipe Southampton aside with relative ease if they performed to their potential, but they didn’t. One player who underperformed in particular was world record signing Paul Pogba. Southampton’s Oriol Romeu was the standout midfield performer.

There was no such criticism for Zlatan Ibrahimovic though. The match winner, who cost United nothing, helped them win another important game. He has definitely been a more important and more productive player in comparison to Pogba this season, although the Frenchman is obviously a lot younger and has a lot more time to try and repay his transfer fee.

United didn’t have the hardest run to the League Cup final to say the least, and although they were tested in the final, they were somewhat fortunate to win the game in 90 minutes. Mourinho will have ambitions to finish inside the top four and win the FA Cup and Europa League – to do that the team will need to play better than they did against Southampton and the fans will hope to see Pogba emerge as a more effective player in the big games like these. When you pay that much money for a player, I don’t think it is unreasonable to ask for them to make the difference in the games that matter.

Here’s some of the reaction to Pogba’s performance vs. Southampton

We were so shit 😭😭😭 pogba was pure shit. Genuinely feel bad for southampton

— wade wilson (@damian_heaney) February 26, 2017

Paul Pogba in the big matches pic.twitter.com/9xEuU7CJQP

— ㅤㅤㅤㅤ (@FutbolAlarcon) February 26, 2017

Pogba was absolutely terrible.

— Toby Freestone (@Tfreestone_) February 26, 2017

No one likes to admit it, but Pogba has been woeful today. So poor at defending set-pieces and has failed to take control. Not good enough.

— Liam Canning (@LiamPaulCanning) February 26, 2017

Paul Pogba getting pocketed by Oriol Romeu LMFAOOOO

— Dan (@ArsenaIDan) February 26, 2017

Pogba was honestly terrible today. His vision was as bad as Stevie Wonder's…

— CPFCFanzone 🦅 (@CPFCFanzone) February 26, 2017

In my opinion, Pogba has played fairly well this season and has been one of the clubs better players. He hasn’t stood out as much as you would like or perhaps expect from a player that cost so much. You may expect Messi or Ronaldo effects on the team, but let’s remember he is a midfielder and he is a young midfielder, who will surely only improve season on season.

He does need to improve in the big games. People criticise the likes of Mesut Ozil for failing to make a difference in the big games, but Pogba cost more than twice as much and should be criticised and held accountable just as much as Ozil, if not more.

Luckily for Pogba, United got away with his poor performance but against a team of greater quality, I doubt they will be as lucky. Time to step up.

Manchester United snatched a late draw against Liverpool in a game which truly lacked quality throughout.

Despite the millions of pounds of talent on display, both teams failed to conjure up much inspiration in the final third and it was a scrappy game. Manchester United had a £90million midfielder in their team, but he failed to make any sort of difference and in fact was perhaps one of the worst players on the field on the day.

The hugely poor moment for him was when he handballed inside the area to gift Liverpool a 1st half advantage. After that he did very little to redeem himself with passes going astray frequently.

Pogba completed just 72% of his passes and was dispossessed 3 times. He received a 5.6 match rating on WhoScored, less than any other player on the pitch. Offensively he offered nothing, completing just 1 dribble, 0 key passes and making 0 shots. Defensively he failed to make an interception and completed just 1 tackle. The Frenchman normally prides himself on being effective at both ends of the pitch, but he was shockingly bad defensively and offensively today - certainly an afternoon to forget for the world record transfer signing.

Here’s some reaction to the players performance against Liverpool.

Pogba hitting the dab whilst giving away penalties. That's dedication. pic.twitter.com/8JCeHIZh76

— TheODDSbible (@TheOddsBible) January 15, 2017

Woeful day at the office for Pogba. He was a passenger in a game that was played around him. Failed to make his mark in a huge game.

— Liam Canning (@LiamPaulCanning) January 15, 2017

Pogba needs to stop this major promotion he does around big games.

— Transfer News (@TrustyTransfers) January 15, 2017

Pogba was shite, annoying because he’s been great recently.

— Dave (@OleOleUnited) January 15, 2017

Jordan Henderson was immense during that, made Pogba look like a school boy. Give credit were its due.

— ㅤ (@SimplyCosta) January 15, 2017

The #Pogba ads around the pitch are embarrassing, even worse when he's stinking out the place

— Le Grove (@LeGrove) January 15, 2017

Pogba has been awful. Doesn't deserve to still be on the pitch today#MUFC

— The United Stand (@UnitedStandMUFC) January 15, 2017

In my opinion, Pogba once again proved that he is in no way worth the £90million Manchester United paid for him. He’s a very good midfielder, don’t get me wrong, but his valuation was ludicrous and considering the amount of bad press the likes of Mesut Ozil have received for bad performances, Pogba deserves every bit of criticism he will get for this lacklustre showing.

Many have suggested Pogba should focus on his football rather than his off the field promotion, and I certainly agree there. The Frenchman spends a lot of time with Adidas and on social media to create more revenue for him and his brand, fair play to him, but the fans just want him to be the best he can on the football pitch, and with all that other activity it cannot be helping him perform his best on the pitch.

To be honest I think Pogba is a good player, maybe even a great player. But after moving for such a large amount of money, he will always be compared to that £90million price tag, and for that amount of money you need to be making the difference in nearly every game, especially big games like today against Liverpool.

Manchester United continued their mini-resurgence with a hard-fought 2-1 win away at Crystal Palace on Wednesday night. Whilst Jose Mourinho’s men were not at their best, there was one player that really helped them get the 3 points.

Paul Pogba was absolutely immense for Manchester United on the night, scoring the first and assisting the second goal, but those were not his only contributions in what was a near faultless performance. Pogba won 100% of his tackles, 6 aerial duels, 4 take ons and managed 4 shots, with one crucially giving United the lead.

Pogba is effective both offensively and defensively and he showed that against Palace, making 4 key passes, 6 clearances, 2 interceptions and 2 tackles.

Pogba was involved heavily in the build-up for United, completing a huge 93 passes with a fairly impressive 82.8% accuracy rate. The Frenchman has never been the neatest in possession and he wasn’t again on Wednesday, but he is a different and unique breed of midfielder. Combining defensive & technical ability with athleticism, he completed 4 of his 5 attempted long balls and 1/1 through ball. Despite playing centrally, Pogba still managed to attempt 2 crosses - highlighting how he was involved all over the pitch and central to everything United did.

To be honest it is about time that Pogba produced such a dominating, match-winning performance. Costing the club £90million, his influence this season has been limited to date and the club certainly need him to make the difference in games like these more regularly. Mourinho will also surely want to see the club’s record signing produce performances like these in the big matches against their title rivals.

Here’s how Twitter reacted to Pogba’s performance. Do you agree with these thoughts?

Pogba’s finally picking up speed, playing better and getting to the consistency that’s expected of him.

— Rafael Hernández (@RafaelH117) December 14, 2016

That ball from Pogba was superb, that man can see a pass. What a ball.

— ReviewFootball (@ReviewFootball) December 14, 2016

Paul Pogba was absolutely fantastic tonight against Crystal Palace, starting to find his feet.

Zlatan can't stop scoring 🔥 #mufc pic.twitter.com/5HnKKHeKQv

— Aidan Walsh (@AidanMUFC_) December 14, 2016

Pogba immense tonight. We lacked genuine pace, lost some fluidity without Mkhi, but overall the fight and drive was clear and present. #MUFC

— Rob B. (@_Rob_B) December 14, 2016

He's slowly adapting to the league but Pogba was different gravy tonight & has so much to offer. Gonna be great to watch through the years!

— Charlie Ford (@charlieford10) December 14, 2016

That performance from Paul Pogba was so impressive. Controlled the midfield, scored a goal and assisted Zlatan's winner.

— The Man Utd Way (@TheManUtdWay) December 14, 2016

I must admit, Pogba’s performance on Wednesday night was excellent. He finally produced a performance that justifies the price that United have paid for him. Whilst I think he has been good for United since signing, he has been great, enough of the time. Like any player that moves from a foreign league, there is a settling in period and Pogba is not immune to that. It may be the case now that he has fully settled and is ready to step up and produce more World Class performances like he did on Wednesday night.

That’s the key thing: when you pay so much for a player you need them to win you points, making the difference in games where you don’t play brilliantly. Mourinho may say otherwise, but United were far from brilliant against Crystal Palace and without Pogba on the pitch I severely doubt that they would’ve picked up all three points.

Manchester United qualified for the Europa League next stage with a fairly comfortable 2-0 away win against Zorya Luhansk. Although it was a fairly good performance from Jose Mourinho’s men, they will be disappointed as despite the 3 points, they finished 2nd in the group because Fenerbahce beat Feyenoord in the other match in the group.

These are Fresh Football’s ratings for Manchester United’s Europa League clash away to Zorya Luhansk.

Manchester United

Sergio Romero - 5

A comfortable night for Man United’s number two between the sticks, with the Argentine pulling off a decent save when required in the 72nd minute to prevent a Zorya equaliser.

Ashley Young - 5

No fireworks, but Young was able to do a job without any flagrant complaints. Kept himself in Mourinho’s plans by again showing versatility, this time at right back.

Eric Bailly - 7

A big display from Bailly, steadily returning to full fitness. The ex-Villarreal man swept up much of what was played in and around of United’s defence, providing a fair share of crucial interceptions in the meantime.

Marcos Rojo - 6

Comfortable in possession and helpful in recycling possession. Had little to do with regards to defending, however.

Daley Blind - 5

A quiet one from Blind, but solid nonetheless.

Ander Herrera - 6.5

Alongside Bailly, Herrera proved to be pivotal in pressing higher up and ensuring that the Red Devils recouped possession as soon as possible.

Paul Pogba - 4.5

Pogba was one of the few to try and speed up proceedings within the visitors’ large spells of possession, but his general execution of passes/shots from range left a lot to be desired.

Juan Mata - 6

The Spaniard has been among the most impressive for United this season and today, albeit throughout lacklustre spells, the former Chelsea midfielder stood out again before being replaced by Jesse Lingard.

Wayne Rooney - 3

A no-show from the United captain on the night. Passes going astray, poor control…forgetful. Does he warrant a place in the starting eleven at the moment? Not based on this performance.

Henrikh Mkhitaryan - 6.5

The goalscorer of the well-taken first goal prior to dazzling the Zorya defence with individual some brilliance. Mkhitaryan continues to impress in a United shirt since he was finally selected by Jose.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic - 5

A bit hit and miss, but the Swede began to grow into the game once Rooney was taken off, freeing up his habitual radius of action. Ibrahimovic was on hand to kill the game off late on with United’s second goal.

Subs

Jesse Lingard - 4

The winger was able to quicken play up, but made his fair share of poor choices in the final third.

Marouane Fellaini - N/A

Timothy Fosu-Mensah - N/A

Manchester United were robbed of the three points late on once again in a tough game at Goodison Park after another draw saw the Red Devils move 13 points off of top spot.

The first half was a half of little quality, but it was Zlatan Ibrahimovic who gave United the lead just before the break. Stekelenburg needlessly rushed off his line, the Swede produced a spectacular finish to fire United ahead going into half-time.

United attempted to close the game out in the second half, and came very close to going two goals to the good when Ander Herrera rattled a shot off the crossbar. However, with just a couple of minutes left of normal time, substitute Marouane Fellaini brought down Idrissa Gueye in the box, and Michael Oliver pointed to the spot. David De Gea nearly got a hand to Leighton Baines’ penalty, but couldn’t keep it out as United dropped points late on again.

Paul Pogba disappointed for Manchester United once again as he tries to prove himself and live up to that massive £89m price tag. He failed to create many big chances for Jose Mourinho’s side and many were left wanting more yet again from the Frenchman.

The 23-year-old created three chances, had two shots and won a very disappointing 25% of his tackles as well as just 33% of his aerial duels. Here is how United fans reacted to Paul Pogba’s latest performance.

This probably has to be Pogba’s worst performance today.

— ㅤ (@PogbaIling) 4 December 2016

Pogba has been wasteful

— Jason Price (@JasonPrice86) 4 December 2016

Another awful performance from Pogba. We’re much better when he doesn’t play. Biggest waste of money in footballing history. #EVEMUN #MUFC

— Connor Eccott (@CJEccott) 4 December 2016

The weak link, Pogba. Way off his game. I’d sub Mata for him in the second half

— Nidal Saab (@NidalSb) 4 December 2016

Pogba is actually a liability all the guy offers is a couple of stepovers, backing out of challenges & constantly giving away the ball

— JF (@J10Fitzpatrick) 4 December 2016

Pogba been awful….passing has been terrible and lost the ball time and again way too easily

— Andy Kibble (@akibble83) 4 December 2016

United drop points in late stages once again in the Premier League, leaving Jose Mourinho furious. If they are to make a push for the top four this season, United must learn to close out games much better than they are now.

Manchester United fans may be a little surprised to hear that Mourinho appears to view world record signing Paul Pogba as a future centre half.

Speaking to Sky Sports Mourinho said: ‘He’s a top player and I think he could be a phenomenal central defender,’

‘With the quality of his pass, with his aerial game, with his agility in such a big body, for his defensive side of the game, coming from the back with the ball, he would be a phenomenal central defender, too. ‘The problem is not the position. The problem is not the tactical system. The problem is, in my opinion, somebody that comes from a different style of football and needs this time to be at his best level in football that is really difficult to play, especially for midfield players.’

In my opinion this is not the right position for Pogba at all. The Frenchman’s best attributes lie in his dynamic midfield play. He’s a central midfielder with good athleticism and a solid mix of defensive and offensive skills. It is clear that his future lies in central midfield, what Mourinho needs to do is firstly find the right midfield partner(s) for him and then help the Frenchman settle and adapt to a more competitive league to where he has competed previously.

In the Serie A, Pogba was playing for a team head and shoulders above the rest, he didn’t need to be as vigilant and disciplined as Mourinho will demand in the Premier League. Mourinho also has to consider that whilst discipline is important in a league where every game is competitive, if he doesn’t allow Pogba to be expressive and expansive with his football, then he’s unlikely to be satisfied at the club in the long term and playing this way will also limit the effectiveness of the player. When you pay £89million for someone, you need to make them the heartbeat of the team. Pogba is a young lad, a very talented player but maybe it’s time people took a step back and realised he isn’t yet world class and he cannot be expected to come in and make a huge difference immediately, let’s forget the price tag.

Mourinho must create the right environment for Pogba to flourish. He’s experimented with a few options, but I’d quite like to see a 4-3-3 with Carrick holding and Pogba and Herrera / Mata ahead. Whilst he his passing is good, he’s not a playmaker, so playing someone reliable on the ball like Carrick behind him would surely be beneficial – we saw that in the Europa League tie.

Pogba is not immune to criticism too. Whilst expectations may have been unrealistically high in his first few months in England, he could be playing better. An example is instead of trying to score from 40 yards five times a game, be intelligent. I can’t help but feel he feels the £89million price tag weighing heavy on his shoulders. The huge hype around his arrival has only increased the pressure on him and he now seems to feel that long range goals are required to justify his move.

Manchester United fell to a 4-0 defeat at the hands of Antonio Conte’s Chelsea on Sunday afternoon, and fans were quick to criticise a certain member of the Manchester United midfield.

World-record signing Paul Pogba started the match in an advanced midfield role, playing just behind lone striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic, but his role slightly changed when Jose Mourimho introduced Juan Mata into the game, meaning that the Frenchman took up a deeper role alongside Ander Herrera.

Jose Mourinho would have been keen to take something away from his return to Stamford Bridge, where he spent many successful years managing Chelsea. However, the game started in a disastrous fashion from a United point of view as Pedro raced onto a through ball before rounding David De Gea and firing Chelsea into the lead after just 30 seconds, the quickest goal in the Premier League so far this season.

Chris Smalling failed to stay tight to his man, and this proved costly as Gary Cahill thumped home Chelsea’s second midway through the first half as the ball broke to him six yards out.

Manchester United started to pose a threat at the other end of the pitch, and had a couple of good chances before the break. Mourinho’s men started the second period in a similar fashion as they ended the first, but Chelsea caught them on the break, Eden Hazard exchanging passes with Diego Costa to put the Blues out of sight.

The afternoon just got worse for Jose Mourinho when N’Golo Kante was allowed to walk through the United midfield and defence to finish into the corner and secure the three points for Chelsea.

One player that was subject to much criticism for Manchester United was world-record signing Paul Pogba, who put in yet another under-par performance in the Premier League, failing to build on his pleasing display in the Europa League on Thursday night.

The Frenchman completed 90% of his passes and won 100% of his aerial duels in the game against Chelsea, but playing in that advanced role, he must pose much more of an attacking threat. The 23-year-old failed to create a single chance for his teammates in the 4-0 hiding.

Here is how Twitter reacted to Pogba’s latest Premier League performance.

Paul Pogba:

Overrated and the biggest waste of money we’ll ever see on these shores.

— Ryan K. Davidson (@_RyanDavidson) October 23, 2016

the way pogba is playing cost u 89 mil? i can do that for free! SIGN ME UP @ManUtd

— fiq (@afiqrosss) October 23, 2016

Paul Pogba: nicking a living.

— 7amkickoff (@7amkickoff) October 23, 2016

Pogba and Ibrahimovic need to be dropped next match

— UtdInterest (@UtdInterest) October 23, 2016

Pogba doesn’t deserve any sympathy or time to settle. Really really average player.

— . (@alexburns1088) October 23, 2016

Does Pogba still play football or does he just get cool haircuts and dance in adidas commercials nowadays?

— Young Cast Iron (@jstnbradley) October 23, 2016

Perhaps if Pogba started worrying less about haircuts, handshakes and dabbing he’d be able to actually perform against a decent side

— Matthew Sheerin (@SheerinMatthew) October 23, 2016

Few have been the times that these two colossal clubs of English football have come into a clash with lofty ambitions as of late, as Liverpool welcome Manchester United to the newly-renovated Anfield stadium on Monday night.

The Jürgen Klopp project and it’s suffocating press system has begun gaining some notable traction in the Premier League, in particularly in big games, whereas Man United and their array of expensive talent look to force their way back into prominence under new boss José Mourinho.

The match-up promises plenty, and in its lead-up, Fresh Football has sought to bring you a combined XI. Here’s how we’d line-up:

GK: David De Gea (Manchester United)

There won’t be many more straightforward choices to be made than including David De Gea, one of the best shot-stoppers in the world and, arguably, the main man between the sticks in Premier League football. Even if we weren’t to see him in such light, Simon Mignolet’s shaky past and new boy Loris Karius don’t offer us any great alternatives from Liverpool’s end.

RB: Nathaniel Clyne (Liverpool)

Nathaniel Clyne’s Man United counterpart, Antonio Valencia, has gained his fair share of plaudits so far this season from a right back position, but his systematic nature in the final third, particularly his over-hit crosses, raises a few question marks. Meanwhile Clyne’s associative play makes him our preferred option, we’re not even sure Valencia, despite good form, is the best right back at his own club.

CB: Eric Bailly (Manchester United)

Among the trickiest of introductions to this combined XI is Eric Bailly, simply because Joël Matip has excelled so much in his short time in the Premier League as well. Whereas the latter might be better at reading the game, we think Bailly’s physicality, especially once his aggression is more refined, sees the Ivorian pip the ex-Schalke man.

CB: Chris Smalling (Manchester United)

As someone who can blend his ability to read the game, bring the ball out from defence and impose himself physically upon attackers, Smalling’s addition is a no-brainer. On his day, he’s one of the very best centre backs in the Premier League.

LB: Luke Shaw (Manchester United)

Alberto Moreno came to mind, who, based on his Liverpool career thus far, is enough to hand the left back slot to just about anyone else. Such is his unreliability that Klopp has chosen to deploy James Milner at left back, a successful invention in the meantime, but we’d prefer to go down the old-fashioned route and opt for a natural left back. It’s also Luke Shaw, by the way, so we’re in good hands.

CM: Daley Blind (Manchester United)

We’re striving for a team that makes sense, here, which in turn sees us scramble a little for a convincing midfielder to play deep in this combined XI. Although talented, Emre Can’s yet to leave his definitive stamp at Anfield, whereas his teammate, Jordan Henderson, is more box-to-box than deep-lying. The same goes for Ander Herrera at United, who’s come into the fold ahead of Michael Carrick and Bastian Schweinsteiger. We’re trusting the versatility of Daley Blind on this one, who’s put in exemplary displays at left back and centre back in the past.

CM: Paul Pogba (Manchester United)

He’s been fairly underwhelming since his blockbuster transfer from Juventus this summer, but it’d take a brave man to overlook his talent in order to shut him out of this combined XI. We wouldn’t dare.

RM: Sadio Mané (Liverpool)

At last, some more Merseyside-based presence, and it goes to their new acquisition. Many an eyebrow was raised at the £34 million price tag of Sadio Mané when joining from Southampton, but the Senegalese winger has been quick to allay any fears and become an instant hit at Anfield. The 24-year-old provides a constant threat with his movement in behind, whereas his trickery and pace make him a real handful across the attacking third.

AM: Philippe Coutinho (Liverpool)

The Brazilian can offer the odd irritation with his relentless attempts at goal from range, but when it works, there’s little left to do but admire. Coutinho’s general low centre of gravity coupled with his dribbling ability and flair are the real reasons why we think he’s best suited to the free role in attacking midfield, however.

LM: Henrikh Mkhitaryan (Manchester United)

Up against the likes of Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial, our preference is to go with Henrikh Mkhitaryan on this one. Being quick on the turn, the Armenian is lethal in transition, just as he was in his storming 2015/16 season with Borussia Dortmund prior to his transfer to Manchester United. We’re yet to see the versatile wide man exemplify the same prowess at Old Trafford, but should he be given the chance, it’d be no surprise to see him star.

ST: Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Manchester United)

Even with Rashford and Martial in the equation, Daniel Sturridge might well serve as the biggest opposition to Zlatan Ibrahimovic at striker. With both representing different profiles of strikers, this one comes down to consistency, and almost by default, Sturridge’s injury prone history and mix-and-match attendance when fit under Klopp sees Ibrahimovic pip him. Additionally, the Swede’s hold-up play and playmaking ability is quite the sight when coupled with aforementioned runners in the attacking third.

Last week, Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane confirmed to the media that record-breaking signing Paul Pogba could have in fact signed for Los Blancos instead of Manchester United over the summer transfer window.

Madrid are currently in second place in La Liga, and will be looking to sneak into top spot ahead of their Madrid rivals over the coming weeks after the international break, and speaking last week, Zidane did mention that the Frenchman could have put pen to paper for Real Madrid, saying:

“It could have happened. There were conversations, but it didn’t go ahead.”

However, Zidane saw Pogba sign for Manchester United for a fee of around £89m, but he been worth the investment?

In the opening weeks of the Premier League season, we have seen Pogba deployed in a deeper midfield role with a number of partners such as Marouanne Fellaini, but now Ander Herrera plays alongside the Frenchman. This has worked better and Manchester United are now well set for their weekend game against Liverpool - get the best football tips ahead of that huge fixture.

Pogba has usually been the man to push forward and look to cause more of an attacking threat for United while Herrera sits back, and the partnership seemed to be effective against Leicester City, but United could only manage a 1-1 draw with Stoke at Old Trafford a week on.

Looking at his statistics alongside those of his defensive midfield partner Ander Herrera, Paul Pogba wins more of his total duels, but only just. The Frenchman wins 52.58% of his total duels, whereas the Spaniard wins 50%. On the other hand, Herrera wins 75% of his aerial duels, and Pogba wins 59.09% of his aerial duels.

Herrera also makes more interceptions per game than Pogba. The Spanish international makes 3.38 per ninety minutes, but Pogba makes on average just 1.33 interceptions per game. Herrera also makes more tackles per game than his French teammate. Pogba makes on average 1.33, and Herrera makes 2.25.

However, the story is a little different when going forward, which is effectively what Pogba is there for. The Frenchman on average creates 1.83 chances per game, and makes the same number of key passes per ninety minutes. Herrera on the other hand makes just 0.56 per game of each.

We have seen flashes of brilliance from Paul Pogba since he joined Manchester United in the summer, but nowhere near so far what £89m should get you. In short, no, Pogba has not so far been worth the huge amount of money invtested in order to bring him to the club, and needs to up his game after the international break.

These are Fresh Football’s ratings for Manchester United’s home clash versus Leicester City in the Premier League.

Manchester United

David De Gea - 6

Despite a relatively quiet game, De Gea was left stunned by a Demarai Gray strike in the second half. By the same token, the Spaniard pulled off a good save from similar circumstances in the latter stages of the game.

Antonio Valencia - 6

A standard Antonio Valencia, with lots of running, work ethic, as well as a handful of hit and miss crosses. He did, however, struggled to contain Gray in the second half.

Chris Smalling - 7.5

The England international remained casual up against the likes of Jamie Vardy and Islam Slimani, meanwhile opening the scoring for Man United in the first half.

Eric Bailly - 7

Equally as sound as Smalling throughout much of the game, but there was the odd occasion where he found himself stretched in unison with Valencia on the right side of defence. Decent overall.

Daley Blind - 8

The versatile defender was particularly successful in thwarting main man Riyad Mahrez, on top of combining expertly with his teammates thanks to some crisp passing. A big performance.

Paul Pogba - 7.5

A far better showing from the record signing, who was gifted time by the Leicester midfield to manipulate the ball and also went on to score his first goal in United colours.

Ander Herrera - 6.5

Operating deeper, Herrera’s presence allowed the likes of Pogba and Juan Mata greater freedom.

Marcus Rashford - 7

Busy on the flanks, exposing quality hold-up play and a fearless attitude that was again rewarded with a goal.

Juan Mata - 7.5

With Wayne Rooney benched, Mata took initiative and roamed expertly to link up play and cause the Leicester defence all sorts of problems. The Spanish playmaker got onto the scoresheet in the 37th minute.

Jesse Lingard - 6.5

Active in and around the box, tracked back well and added an assist to his name.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic - 7.5

The Swede left both central defenders trailing his associative play and troubled the Leicester backline with well-timed runs in what was a performance that only lacked a goal.

Subs:

Michael Carrick - N/A

Wayne Rooney - N/A

Leicester City

Ron-Robert Zieler - 3.5

Fairly powerless in all four of the goals, but few, if any, positives surround his day.

Danny Simpson - 3

Left unhappy in his duel versus Marcus Rashford and his marking inside the box from set-piece scenarios.

Robert Huth - 3

Had his work cut out with Ibrahimovic inside the box, whereas his marking and organisation was very disappointing for three of the four goals Leicester conceded.

Wes Morgan - 3.5

Much like Huth, Morgan’s so often the heart and soul of the Foxes’ side with his Herculean defending, but that wasn’t the case today.

Christian Fuchs - 3

Usually so reliable, the Austrian turned in one of his worst performances since joining the current Premier League champions.

Riyad Mahrez - 3.5

Fairly uninspired and hooked off at half-time with the midweek clash versus Porto in mind.

Danny Drinkwater - 3

Outnumbered in the middle of the park, whereas he’s sure to have better days going forward.

Daniel Amartey - 3

In much the same vein, Amartey struggled to cope versus a 3-man midfield.

Marc Albrighton - 3

Simply non-existent.

Islam Slimani - 4

Worked hard to charge Leicester forward, but was often left isolated.

Jamie Vardy - 4

Led on behind Slimani, attempting to place Leicester’s stamp on the game, but lacked support and was subbed off at half-time.

Subs:

Demarai Gray - 6.5

The shining light in a dismal afternoon for the Foxes, offering refuge from Man United’s suffocating domination and providing a quality goal from range for fans to at least smile about.

Andy King - 5.5

Might feel he could have done better in his second-half stint, but his mere presence served to balance the game and limit the damage that had already been done prior to his entrance.

Jeffrey Schlupp - N/A

Manchester United managed to avoid their third straight defeat at home to Leicester City, but did more than just avoid defeat - they took full advantage of a Leicester first-half capitulation to go into the break four goals to the good.

Chris Smalling opened the scoring for United midway through the first half before further goals were added by Juan Mata, Marcus Rashford and Paul Pogba before half-time to brush the Premier League Champions aside.

Demarai Gray managed to pull one back for Leicester in the second half with a tremendous strike, leaving David De Gea no chance in the Manchester United goal.

However, this had no serious impact on the game as United enjoyed their second victory of the week following their EFL Cup victory over Northampton. Outstanding performances came from Paul Pogba, Ander Herrera and Juan Mata as United ran riot at Old Trafford.

Manchester United fans took to Twitter to react to these amazing performances from their midfielders.

SURELY this is the end of Rooney starting. We look freakishly more fluid and dangerous without him. Pogba and Herrera world class together.

— Jaydn_MUFC (@JaydnMUFC) September 24, 2016

People gonna be talking about Pogba but Mata just ran the game assisted scored did everything he’s the reason United was so good today

— Conte’s Son (@Lottery0404) September 24, 2016

Mata, Pogba & Herrera been great for us today.

— Bz (@staybalanced_) September 24, 2016

Herrera, Pogba and Mata compliment one another so well! Lingard and Rashford’s energy on another level. Positivity all round 🔴🔴🔴🔴

— MUFC Content (@mufcontent) September 24, 2016

Mata been unreal, midfield with him, Pogba and Herrera should start every game

— H 🍿 (@Harry_Gibson_13) September 24, 2016

Pogba can only get better after this. Mou must know by now that he works best with Herrera and Mata. And maybe even Carrick.

— Lorena (@LoreBarros) September 24, 2016

Great performance from the team today, great result… team looks balanced with Mata in the hole and Herrera next to Pogba

— Matt Lee (@MrMattyLee) September 24, 2016

He may not be the most ‘value for money’ signing, and that’s why he’s not higher up the list, but Paul Pogba’s arrival as the most expensive player in world football was a huge coup for Manchester United. With this signing, Jose Mourinho has helped United reassert their authority as one of the biggest clubs in the world. Pogba’s arrival can lift United from the mire and to greatness again.

His ability to cannot be questioned although his overall impact maybe over rated by some. He has proven himself in the Srie A consistently and also on the international stage. He has built up his image of being a superstar on and off the pitch - it cannot be underestimated the impact that this signing will have for Manchester United as a club in re-establishing themselves as a global brand powerhouse.

He’s a charismatic midfielder but he also has bags of ability: he’s a player that combines strength, pace and athleticism excellently making him an ideal all round central midfielder. It is incredible that at such a young age (23), he is already considered by many amongst the best central midfielder in Europe despite the huge price Manchester United have paid. His arrival has almost guaranteed quality in midfield. They may have previously had good midfielders in Morgan Schneiderlin, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Michael Carrick and Ander Herrera etc. but it is easy to see that Pogba if not already, has the potential to become twice as good as those players. Now the world record transfer, Pogba has the pressure on his shoulders to prove himself amongst the very best, but somehow you have little doubt that he will rise to the pressure and we will him become an even better player than he is today.

There is arguably no better than Mourinho to manage Pogba’ s confident demeanour and also aid his development and help him realise his potential. Jose has often been criticised for his ability to develop young players but in Pogba he has a player that has already established himself but is still young enough to improve further. Mourinho, although often criticised for his lack of ability to develop young talent, has worked with many big characters during his managerial career whether that be Didier Drogba at Chelsea or Cristiano Ronaldo at Real Madrid - either way, the players, no matter how enigmatic, are complimentary of Mourinho’s managerial styles and those compliments are also made by Zlatan Ibrahimović, and is anyone more arrogant than the big Swedish International? It is also worth remembering the Mourinho has helped players from one stage of their career to the next. A good example is with Rafael Varane at Real Madrid. The defender had already established himself as a first-team footballer in France but in Spain Mourinho helped him in the transition stage to become a superstar.

I think there will rightly be question marks right now but simply for the magnitude of the signing, Manchester United deserve credit. The Premier League had been coming under criticism due to its current form in European competitions and also the fact that Leicester were allowed to win the Premier League so comfortably. The signing made the whole of the footballing world take note - it symbolised that Manchester United were back and for that reason this signing simply has to be in our top 10. Time will tell whether he can live up to that price, personally I think he will and even if he doesn’t the boost that his arrival has given the whole club and its supporters cannot be underestimated. Manchester United are back.

Manchester United have had a busy summer. First Jose Mourinho came in and then he started making big waves in the transfer market. Many thought that without Champions League football, Jose would struggle to convince the very best players to join the club, but those who thought that couldn’t be more wrong. Here’s the four signings he’s made and how good a signing we think they are.

1 - Eric Bailly

When Bailly signed you would’ve forgiven many Manchester United fans for not really knowing who he was. Many raised eyebrows at the £30million fee for a 22-year-old defender that had so far failed to make a name for himself. The early signs are that under Mourinho he will make a name for himself and he will justify that transfer fee. In the clubs opening three Premier League games he has been extremely composed on the ball, mature and strong in possession. He looks like an established Premier League defender already, but he’s only 22 and has played just four games in English football. It’s too early to say that Bailly will be definitely worth the money United have paid, but on the evidence that we have, it looks a good signing from Jose.

Fee: £30million
Grade: 8/10

Here are the Fresh Football Player Ratings for Manchester United’s 2-0 win over Southampton at Old Trafford. Ratings by Aidan Small.

Manchester United

De Gea 6 - He was forced to make one save against Long which any keeper could save - even at Sunday League! His distribution was composed as always.

Valencia 8 - Valencia’s one job was to torment Targett and he done it superbly. His physicality when driving forward was a nightmare to contain and his crossing was much improved from last season. Baily 8 - Long and Redmond had a quiet day today and it was greatly down to this man. He’s assured on the ball, dominant in the air and an attackers nightmare with his rough and physical style. Manchester United have truly found their man at the back.

Blind 7 - produced some timely tackles when needed and helped to redistribute play effectively, but held no star moments Shaw 8- United’s failures last year were greatly down to Shaw’s absence. He was key in all phases of play and looked like the player that Southampton sold. Fellaini 5 - the game passed him by and his only notable impact was providing a nuisance to the opposition with fouls. Pogba 7 - some fantastic footwork and some brilliant ideas in his play but the final product

Bailly 8 - Long and Redmond had a quiet day today and it was greatly down to this man. He’s assured on the ball, dominant in the air and an attackers nightmare with his rough and physical style. Manchester United have truly found their man at the back. Blind 7 - produced some timely tackles when needed and helped to redistribute play effectively, but held no star moments

Shaw 8 - United’s failures last year were greatly down to Shaw’s absence. He was key in all phases of play and looked like the player that Southampton sold.

Fellaini 5 - the game passed him by and his only notable impact was providing a nuisance to the opposition with fouls.

Pogba 7 - some fantastic footwork and some brilliant ideas in his play but the final product was lacking. It’s clear to see that Pogba is exactly what United have needed in the middle of the park - someone who is physically strong whilst also possessing great technical ability. It was a promising performance but the 9’s and 10’s you will be finding in tomorrow’s papers will be due to the hype and excitement.

Mata 6 - Mata found some exciting positions but failed to provide that killer pass or add any real excitement to the frontline. Rooney 7 - his general play was certainly more efficient than usual and he provided the assist for Ibrahimovic’s goal with a delightful cross. Minus that, his impact on the game wasn’t as destructive as Monday nights.

Martial 6 - he had the right idea on a number of attacks but the final ball simply wasn’t there. Had he executed his ideas this could easily have been an 8.

Rooney 7 - his general play was certainly more efficient than usual and he provided the assist for Ibrahimovic’s goal with a delightful cross. Minus that, his impact on the game wasn’t as destructive as Monday nights.

Ibra 9 - are there many players more clinical in football? Zlatan is proving to be the ruthless force that we all hoped he would be in the Premier League, and I’ve got to say, I’m loving every second of it.

Southampton

Forster 5 - the big man had next to no chances to impact the game. When Ibrahimovic is firing it takes a world class keeper to even stand a chance, but nevertheless, he conceded two goals.

Cedric 5 - Martial managed to send the Euro 2016 winner the wrong way on a number of occasions. He also failed to deliver any dangerous crosses into the path of Long. However, there was a number of cutting passing through the midfield that helped to push the team forward. Fonte 7 - Southampton’s second Euro winner provided a mature performance that involved a number of superbly timed tackles to stop some dangerous attacks. VVD 8 - as always, Van Dijk was composed on the ball and dominant in the air. He even offered an attacking threat at moments by charging forward into the United defence. Targett 4 - I believe that Targett has a future at a decent level, but in

Fonte 7 - Southampton’s second Euro winner provided a mature performance that involved a number of superbly timed tackles to stop some dangerous attacks. VVD 8 - as always, Van Dijk was composed on the ball and dominant in the air. He even offered an attacking threat at moments by charging forward into the United defence. Targett 4 - I believe that Targett has a future at a decent level, but in

VVD 8 - as always, Van Dijk was composed on the ball and dominant in the air. He even offered an attacking threat at moments by charging forward into the United defence. Targett 4 - I believe that Targett has a future at a decent level, but in

Targett 4 - I believe that Targett has a future at a decent level, but in Puel’s system he is simply lost. He doesn’t possess enough pace to track back into the space left behind him and is all too indecisive in high offensive positions. But his worst aspect of the game by far was the fact that he was destroyed by Valencia three times over in the same manner. Despite Valencia always looking to bomb down the line, Targett dived in too early and allowed Valencia room to get in behind. However, he delivered two well struck crosses into the box Romeu N/A - sadly the Spaniard was forced off in the opening 15 minutes after an injury. He didn’t have enough time to impact the game in any way.

Clasie 7 - first things first, Clasie was wrongly punished for the supposed “foul” on Lule Shaw. Beyond this, he is looking more and more suited to the PL as times goes on. Finally we are seeing some bite, freedom and high relentless pressing in his play. Hojbjerg 8 - Højbjerg was smart when starting attacks and winning the ball back. The positioning of his body when receiving the ball was that of a truly

Hojbjerg 8 - Højbjerg was smart when starting attacks and winning the ball back. The positioning of his body when receiving the ball was that of a truly high class midfielder. This is another performance that will give the fans great promise over his quality Davis 5 - the Northern Irish International covered his ground superbly in the opening 25 minutes but his touch soon become clunky and he wasn’t aware of his position - most likely due to playing a more advanced role under Koeman. In addition, he also failed to follow one of the first rules in defending by allowing Rooney the time and space to deliver the cross for Ibrahimovic’s opener. Potentially tired after a tough physical battle in the

Davis 5 - the Northern Irish International covered his ground superbly in the opening 25 minutes but his touch soon become clunky and he wasn’t aware of his position - most likely due to playing a more advanced role under Koeman. In addition, he also failed to follow one of the first rules in defending by allowing Rooney the time and space to deliver the cross for Ibrahimovic’s opener. Potentially tired after a tough physical battle in the Euro’s. Tadic 6 -

Tadic 6 - Puel’s main attacking outlet played a number of smart through balls, but his play is greatly determined by the service from the CM’s and FB’s which at times was lacking. Alongside this, he also shanked a number of chances that would have worked the keeper if taken by a recognised goalscoring number ten. Redmond 5 - every single time that Redmond picked up the ball he was marked by three players at each and every attack. The rating of five is handed to him not because of his own play, but simply because Mourinho ensured that his side marked him so tightly Long 5 - Long worked the channels well in moments but quite simply, he fluffed his two big chances in the game when faced with a goalscoring opportunity. As our main goalscorer, that simply

Redmond 5 - every single time that Redmond picked up the ball he was marked by three players at each and every attack. The rating of five is handed to him not because of his own play, but simply because Mourinho ensured that his side marked him so tightly Long 5 - Long worked the channels well in moments but quite simply, he fluffed his two big chances in the game when faced with a goalscoring opportunity. As our main goalscorer, that simply

Long 5 - Long worked the channels well in moments but quite simply, he fluffed his two big chances in the game when faced with a goalscoring opportunity. As our main goalscorer, that simply isnt good enough.

Subs

Austin 5 - Austin made next to no impact on the pitch when given 25 minutes to show his worth.

Mkhitaryan 5 - Jose has promised that Mkhitaryan’s time in the side will come, and sadly tonight, he simply couldn’t impact the game with the opportunities that he was given.

Rashford N/A - coming on as a late sub, the talented youngster had no opportunities to please the fans at Old Trafford.

Manchester United have a good manager and a strong squad, but it is important that Jose makes the final adjustments in the last few weeks of the window to make his team title favourites. Here’s my four suggestions.

1) Paul Pogba

This rumour has been done to death but it does look like Pogba will be signing for United soon. What will he add? Well it’s pretty obvious that he will add that ‘superstar’ quality to United’s midfield that they haven’t had for some time now. Pogba is a top class international midfielder that will add goals, bite, power and flair to the heart of United’s midfield. Aged just 23, Pogba has the time to become one of the best midfielders in Europe and his price tag reflects that. A deal still isn’t complete but appears to just be a matter of time. Mourinho will be keen to get the deal signed off before the season kicks off so that Pogba can start making his impact and winning the team points as soon as possible. It’ll be intriguing to see who Jose selects alongside Pogba in midfield as it will take the right players around him to bring out the best in the Frenchman. Last season Pogba created 1.61 chances per 90 which led to him grabbing 0.36 assists per 90 minutes which is very impressive for a central midfielder. Pogba also had a handful of goals managing 0.24 per 90 minutes. The maestro also contributed well defensively with 1.64 tackles per 90 and proved to be a force in the air winning 64.95% of his aerial duels.

Manchester United are preparing another big bid for a couple of midfielders according to the latest reports. We give you the lowdown and look at the likelihood of one or both of the rumours coming to fruition.

A player long to be linked with a move (back) to Old Trafford is Paul Pogba. Those links have once again strengthened today with Richard Keys saying on Twitter that he believed Pogba was set to move to Manchester and work under Jose Mourinho. The Guardian have confidently added fuel to that story suggesting that United are very much in the €100million chase to sign Pogba, although they do say that Real Madrid remain strong favourites.

Madrid are depserate to sign Pogba, with Zinedine Zidane a huge admirer of the midfield maestro. Before they can sanction a move of such magnitude though, the Champions League holders have to sell some players. James Rodriguez, Alvaro Morata and others have been linked with the exit door as Madrid look to raise the €100million they will need to sign Pogba. The strength of United’s bid is that they already have the money.

If United were to lose out on Pogba, they do have an alternative, it seems. Blaise Matuidi has been granted permission to talk to an English club according to Goal, with Chelsea and Manchester United the most strongly linked. PSG are willing to grant Matuidi a dream move to England, according to the report.

Matuidi, although not of the same caliber as Pogba, is a very good midfielder. He’s 29, so playing in his prime years and has a long-standing ambition to play in the Premier League. His strengths statistically lie in his pass completion rate of 92% and 2.36 tackles won per 90 minutes rate. He also makes more than 2 interceptions per 90 minutes, highlighting the on-field energy he offers. Although he does have the energy to get forward, Matuidi is a more defensive midfielder in comparison to Pogba. This is highlighted when comparing the two players attacking statistics. Pogba has managed more thna 3 take ons per 90 minutes, whereas Matuidi is less than 1. Pogba averaged 1.25 key passes per 90 minutes last season, again more than Matuidi (0.87).

Matuidi is likely to cost around €40million, €60million less than Pogba. But Pogba is already world class and aged just 23, he could potentially play at the highest level for 10 more seasons. So long as Pogba manages to at least maintain his current level of performance, €100million would actually represent pretty good value. In Matuidi United would be signing an established midfielder, but one who is unlikely to get any better aged 29. Pogba appears the primary target for United, but perhaps Matuidi is the ‘more realistic’ backup option.

Both players are of course still playing at Euro 2016 and their primary focus will currently be that tournament. Upon completion of it, we may see one of the players join Manchester United as Mourinho continues his search to add a central midfielder to his new look squad.

New Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho certainly expects to have a busy summer and is close to securing two deals by the end of the week, with a third target identified which could be one of the biggest transfers in Footballing history.

1 - Zlatan Ibrahimovic

According to Sky Sports, Zlatan Ibrahimovic will complete his long-anticipated move to Manchester United by the end of the week.

The 34-year-old Swedish international is set to be Mourinho’s second summer signing after agreeing a one-year contract with the prolific goal-scorer.

Ibrahimovic will join Manchester United for free after letting his current deal expire with Paris St-Germain.

 

United fans should count themselves lucky, they’re signing one of the best ever strikers and a player who is only getting better with age, he was top scorer in France’s Ligue 1 last term with 38 goals but did fail to provide a single goal in Sweden’s disappointing Euro’s campaign.

Sky Sports understand Ibrahimovic will have a medical in the next week and United have no concerns as the 34-year-old is said to be in excellent condition.

Ibrahimovic will bring something special to United; he is one of the world’s best and will guarantee them at least 20 goals next season. The goal scoring machine can play as target man and can create chances himself; he can dominate any defender in the box and will bring a real fear back to Manchester United.

The veteran striker scored 1.34 goals per 90 minutes last season which is utterly flawless, a stat like this just shows why he is mentioned among the likes of Karim Benzema and Robert Lewandowski. Ibrahimovic can also create chances for his teammates; he managed 1.59 per 90 last season which led to him bagging himself 0.46 assists.

Ibrahimovic, if all goes well will link up with Jose Mourinho for a second time in his career having been managed by the “special one” during their time together at Inter Milan. United are bagging themselves a bargain, getting a player for free of his ability is incredible business. He can be seen as a mentor for the younger strikers coming through and will certainly push United on for the title next season.