Few players have divided the opinion of Manchester United fans – but none quite like former midfielder Paul Pogba.
The Frenchman joined for a club record £89m back in the summer of 2016, looking to lead the Red Devils to Premier League success in his second spell at Old Trafford.
There is no denying that he was a player of great talent – as evidenced by his tally of 30 goals and 51 assists, which often came at key moments in the final third.
However, he has been criticized for his work rate and defensive style, and Graeme Souness has often been wise to call out the player for his struggles.
Why Pogba is still United’s record holder is a problem
As mentioned earlier, the £89m fee paid to sign Pogba is still United’s record – but why is that starting to worry the club?
However, Premier League rivals Arsenal, Manchester City, Liverpool, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur have signed players for more than £100m – showing their desire to acquire world-class talent.
This summer alone, City and Spurs have signed talents in excess of that amount, completing moves for Elliot Anderson and Sandro Tonali from Nottingham Forest and Newcastle United, respectively.
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The club’s record signings are the PL big six |
||
|---|---|---|
|
The team |
The player |
Money |
|
Man Utd |
Paul Pogba |
£89m |
|
Tottenham Hotspur |
Sandro Tonali |
£100m |
|
Arsenal |
Declan Rice |
£105m |
|
Manchester City |
Elliot Anderson |
£116m |
|
Chelsea |
Morgan Rogers |
£117m |
|
Liverpool |
Alexander Isaac |
£125m |
Michael Carrick’s men were interested in a move for the aforementioned duo, but subsequently missed out on their signing after being reluctant to fork out the money.
There is no doubt that INEOS have invested well in the last 12 months, but their reluctance in the market and refusal to spend more than £100m on a player could see them trailing other clubs around them.
As a result, the likes of Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans have arrived at Old Trafford this window instead – with the pair worth a reported £85m combined.
Undoubtedly, there is smart business to be done in the market, but sometimes big money has to be spent to get the quality of player needed to succeed in the Premier League.
How Carrick can secure United’s next Pogba this summer
Although they have already confirmed the signings of two different midfielders this summer, it is no secret that United are on the hunt for a third talent to complete their midfield overhaul.
However, INEOS have made the signing of a dormant football winner a top priority, leading to many rumors of who could be their preferred transfer target.
Manu Kone and Carlos Baleba have both been linked, but managers can now turn their attention to Real Madrid star Aurélien Tchouaméni.
It was reported by journalist Samuel Luckhurst that the Red Devils have once again inquired about the availability of this French player who has two years left on his current contract.
They say the Spanish giants are now keen to offload the 26-year-old despite reports of a new deal at the Bernabeu – but could demand around £80m if they sell him.
Such a deal would be the biggest in the club’s history, but it would see Carrick’s men find the perfect option and end their ongoing pursuit of a trade.
He will emulate Pogba in his big-money arrival, when he is at his best to make his mark at the heart of the Red Devils team – either in attack or defence.
His statistics from his recent campaign in Spain highlight why he is the perfect player for United, after all he has all the key qualities needed to make a false choice.
Chouameni won 68% of the games he played in LaLiga last season – putting him in the top 2% of midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues.
He also tackled 1.6 times per 90 and passed 0.5 times per game – again placing him in the top 10% of players in his position across the continent.
All of the aforementioned statistics highlight his incredible ability off the ball – which shows why he is the perfect player for United this summer.
In football, he showed a similar level to Pogba, as he completed 92% of the passes he attempted last season – a figure in the top 8% of players in LaLiga.
Tchouameni’s ability to score from distance has been on display again in recent times, after which he scored twice in his 55 appearances in all competitions last season.
£80m would be a huge contract for United, but it is not one that could inject the quality needed into Carrick’s squad to make a Premier League title challenge.
Should he get anywhere near his compatriot’s standards at Old Trafford, the deal could be a bargain and one that could go down as one of his best.
