Three long-term Paul Pogba replacements Manchester United could sign this summer
Manchester United is anticipated to make midfield moves in the upcoming transfer window.
After signing Jadon Sancho, Raphael Varane, and Cristiano Ronaldo for the 2021/2022 season, Manchester United was unable to sign a top-level defensive midfielder last summer. However, the Manchester Evening News believes that this has already been identified as a priority moving forward, and Declan Rice remains the number one target in this regard.
Wolves’ Amadou Haidara, Boubacar Kamara, and Ruben Neves are considered potential replacements.
Meanwhile, speculation about Paul Pogba’s future at Manchester United is at an all-time high as he enters the final months of his contract with the Premier League giants.
As things stand, it appears increasingly likely that United will lose him on a free transfer for the second time, a decade after he left Old Trafford for Juventus on a free transfer in 2012.
Should he decide to leave, a second midfielder should be on the horizon.
Here are three potential alternatives for Pogba from outside Europe’s top five leagues, as suggested by the CIES Football Observatory and its grading system:
Here are three Pogba replacements from outside Europe’s top five leagues, as suggested by the CIES Football Observatory and their grading system.
Ryan Gravenberch is ranked first (Ajax – 294.8 rating)
Simply put, one of the world’s most highly-rated young midfielders.
Box-to-box Gravenberch, who has already been capped ten times by the Netherlands, is the newest product of the illustrious Ajax system, and he will almost certainly find himself in one of the top five leagues shortly.
Would the appointment of Erik ten Hag by the Premier League giants boost his chances of doing so with United? Gravenberch’s contract has only 18 months left on it.
Arsen Zakharyan is number two (Dynamo Moscow – 277.3 rating)
This season, the highly-rated Zakharyan has strengthened his blossoming status with Dynamo Moscow in his native Russia.
In 17 Premier Liga appearances, the 18-year-old has four goals and six assists. After earning his first Russia cap in September, reports have circulated linking him to Chelsea and Real Madrid, among other major clubs. It should only be a matter of time before he, too, makes his debut on the world’s biggest stage.
Fabio Carvalho is number three (Fulham – 269.1 ratings)
Carvalho requires no introduction to those who follow the Championship closely. Part of Fulham’s high-scoring attack, the 19-year-old has been in and out of the Whites’ lineup under Marco Silva. Despite this, Carvalho has seven goals and four assists in 18 games.
Liverpool saw a deadline-day move for Carvalho fall through, so United and others still have a chance to sign him before Fulham re-enters the Premier League.
