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Paul Pogba’s form has certainly trended upwards since the start of the season, but his future at Manchester United remains in doubt come the end of the current campaign.
It is yet to be decided whether Manchester United will pull the plug and cash in on Pogba, who will have just a year left on his contract come the summer.
The Frenchman might change his tune and decide to remain at Old Trafford for the peak of his career, but there is no doubt that Pogba is thinking of a life away from Manchester with Juventus and Real Madrid closely watching the situation.
Here are five players who could potentially replace Paul Pogba at Manchester United:
#1 Federico Valverde
Swap deals rarely happen in football, but in a COVID-affected transfer market, everything is on the table in order to sign players.
Real Madrid’s finances are certainly taut at the moment and they are unlikely to spend mega bucks on trying to acquire Pogba.
Los Blancos have one of their own midfield players who has struggled to get into the team this season in Federico Valverde. The Uruguay international has struggled to complete matches this season after nursing several injuries.
While Real are unlikely to want to sell Valverde, their pursuit of Pogba has been well known over the years, as well as their more recent desires of wanting to sign Eduardo Camavinga and Kylian Mbappe.
One of their more lucrative players will have to pave the way for Pogba, which might just mean Valverde could be an option for the Red Devils.
#2 Yves Bissouma
Slightly closer to home is Yves Bissouma of Brighton & Hove Albion. Typically a more defensive-minded option in midfield, the Mali international has shown his panache and expertise in getting forward and acting as a box-to-box player.
Bissouma has come on in leaps and bounds since arriving in 2018 from LOSC Lille and is unlikely to be taken away from the South Coast for anything short of £40 million.
Technically adept and strong on the ball, Bissouma can incorporate Nemanja Matic’s current role in the team and be the out-and-out stalwart in front of the defense. This, in turn, would allow the full use of Donny van de Beek in Pogba’s current position, interchanging with Bruno and transitioning from defense into attack.
Regardless of whether Pogba stays or goes, Bissouma should be one of the top names on Manchester United’s list this summer.
#3 Sergej Milinkovic-Savic
One of the best known players linked with Manchester United on this list, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic nearly made the move across to England in 2018 with the Red Devils cited as having been incredibly interested in him.
An all-encompassing powerful midfielder, the 25 year old has shown throughout the years his ability to contribute in the final third. This season, the Serbia international has five goals and eight assists in 26 appearances – all of which have come from central midfield.
Priced at £90 million a few seasons ago, Lazio’s President, Claudio Lotito, is likely to be more generous with the price tag this summer, but he will certainly not be cheap.
Milinkovic-Savic would be a near like-for-like replacement for Pogba, possessing similar physical qualities to the Frenchman and his superb eye for goal.
#4 Florian Neuhaus
Perhaps a hidden gem in European football right now, Florian Neuhaus, who plays his football for Borussia Monchengladbach, has had a stellar season so far, netting six times and providing six more as assists in 29 matches.
The 23 year old is one of Germany’s rising talents and it’s clear to see why. His technical ability and reading of the game is second-to-none, which makes him one step ahead of players around him.
He might not be the quickest, but Neuhaus has an innate tendency of arriving in the box at just the right time – similar to how Frank Lampard used to play.
Manchester United are always in search of a younger talent to take to the next level and they might just have that perfect fit in Neuhaus to replace Pogba.
#5 Tomas Soucek
Having only arrived 12 months ago, Tomas Soucek is a name known to all now with his late-arriving runs into the box and fantastic ability to get on the scoresheet.
Maroaune Fellaini Mark II is what Premier League fans are calling him, especially with him working under David Moyes, and you can see why with his eight goals in 24 appearances this term.
Soucek will not be the favorite to replace Pogba, but if his performances continue on this upward trajectory, he will certainly put his hat in the ring for the summer window.
