Pogba Alternatives

Devil may care

New Member
Joined
Jan 7, 2010
Messages
35,976
I'm not trying to be negative and I really hope we pull the Pogba deal off, but after Thiago and Vidal to just name a couple of recent sagas, we know all too well how things often end. However that doesn't mean Mourinho just gives up on the fact he identified needing that CM addition, and not another water carrier IMO as we wouldn't be going for Pogba and prior the interest in Pjanic if that was the case, he talked adding players with vision.

I'll just throw a couple in to start us off.

Saul - I know he just signed a new contract but Mendes is his agent and owns 40% of his rights. The £56M buyout is excessive but wouldn't be a problem as it's nearly half of the Pogba fee and Atleti tend to make one big sale each summer.

Ruben Neves - Younger and not as attacking as Pogba, but has the quality in his passing range to be a great addition and give our midfield some much needed creativity.
 
There's that Lidl/Lada signing Matuidi?
 
Barkley, Mahrez, James the only three I can think of.

unitedbhoy said:
Would Kroos become available if Pogba goes to Real?
Click to expand...

Isn't the player United needs. Kroos isn't a player to dribble and cut open teams he's a deep lying playmaker.
 
I was thinking the same today. I like Pogba but the money the media is reporting is ridiculous. Plus I don't see it happening.

Alternatives;
Saul
Neves
Kroos
Matuidi
 
TheNewEra said:
Barkley, Mahrez, James the only three I can think of.



Isn't the player United needs. Kroos isn't a player to dribble and cut open teams he's a deep lying playmaker.
Click to expand...
You say that like we have an abundance of deep lying play makers. Carrick will barely play next season, Bastian can't stay fit. Kroos has the ability to play further forward especially in the games we found most difficult last season - breaking down rigid 10 men defences.
 
signing Matuidi is like being promised a Ferrari and having to settle with a reliable solidy VW after which you are forced to understand that the VW was more economical but you don't care. you would have been fine if you only knew you were getting the VW, but they put Ferrari hopes in your head. you don't want the VW anymore. You want the bloody Ferrari. :(
 
I don't think there's another player quite like Pogba out there. He's a great all rounder and can carry out a number of different roles. Anyone we bring in won't offer the all round game Pogba has.
 
I thought about making this thread DMC, so you're not alone.

It's possible Kroos will be available if Real Madrid buys Pogba. He is not the same player as Pogba, so it would be different midfield dynamics, but i think it's the best option we got.

I am worried about City though, Pep seems to be very keen on Kroos, there will definitely be competition for his signing.
 
I am not worried if we don't get Pogba, some good players listed there in the OP. Two of whom I think could be part of a pivot in midfield in addition to a AM.
 
Devil may care said:
I'm not trying to be negative and I really hope we pull the Pogba deal off, but after Thiago and Vidal to just name a couple of recent sagas, we know all too well how things often end. However that doesn't mean Mourinho just gives up on the fact he identified needing that CM addition, and not another water carrier IMO as we wouldn't be going for Pogba and prior the interest in Pjanic if that was the case, he talked adding players with vision.

I'll just throw a couple in to start us off.

Saul - I know he just signed a new contract but Mendes is his agent and owns 40% of his rights. The £56M buyout is excessive but wouldn't be a problem as it's nearly half of the Pogba fee and Atleti tend to make one big sale each summer.

Ruben Neves - Younger and not as attacking as Pogba, but has the quality in his passing range to be a great addition and give our midfield some much needed creativity.
Click to expand...

I thought Saul had a new release clause of around £68m? Anyhow, I'd rather spend the reported Pogba figure on Saul & Matuidi, leaving us a bit of change too. Not that I'll complain if we land Pogba, mind.
 
Goretzka and Tolisso are both supposedly promising.
 
Preference is Saul. Or if by some miracle we can cget nvince Koke to move.
 
Neither Neves nor Saul play the same role as Pogba. If Pogba comes here, he will be our #8 and will be the main playmaker, they are both more of #6 defensive midfielders - and I think in that role Mourinho is going to try Schneiderlin first.
 
Sarni said:
Neither Neves nor Saul play the same role as Pogba. If Pogba comes here, he will be our #8 and will be the main playmaker, they are both more of #6 defensive midfielders - and I think in that role Mourinho is going to try Schneiderlin first.
Click to expand...

I think Saul is versatile enough and has the skill set to play as an #8. We could conceivably play two holding midfielders anyway with a creative #10, but Rooney is a problem.
 
I don't think people are quiet seeing it. There are no alternatives who would give us what he can. Pogba can do it all. He has no main weakness that you can go 'hey, he's pretty crap at that'. People need to realise we need him so that we can then mould our MF around him. That's why he will cost a world record. You're not going to find anyone with his physical attributes and his all round game. Name one and i will delete my account.
 
I don't think we'll have an "alternative" - as I said on the Pog thread I think this is one of those "if a special player becomes available then we have to try and sign him" rather than a piece of the jigsaw type signing like Matuidi / MKhit etc
 
TrueRed79 said:
I don't think people are quiet seeing it. There are no alternatives who would give us what he can. Pogba can do it all. He has no main weakness that you can go 'hey, he's pretty crap at that'. People need to realise we need him so that we can then mould our MF around him. That's why he will cost a world record. You're not going to find anyone with his physical attributes and his all round game. Name one and i will delete my account.
Click to expand...

Seriously ? Havent seen a game which he completely dominates till !!...

Pogba is still a talent dude . Verrati , Koke and even Saul are ahead of him in terms of development and consistency .
 
Lewis Cook or some British talent from the championship. We need to bring back our sovereignty from all these foreign talents taking up places in our team.

Joke aside, I would want Verratti from the players I have watched and can remember. I have not seen much of Saul beside the champion league matches. Isco is also a great shout and he can become almost an Ineista type of number 8 in our midfield.
 
reddevilzZ said:
Seriously ? Havent seen a game which he completely dominates till !!...

Pogba is still a talent dude . Verrati , Koke and even Saul are ahead of him in terms of development and consistency .
Click to expand...
If you are going to quote me and say 'seriously'? You can at least make an effort to prove me wrong. Veratti ahead of him, yeah, sure thing. Veratti is hiding away in Ligue 1. Probably the weakest big league in Europe. Dominating games is always subjective. If that's all you can say to prove me wrong, theres no point in debating with you.
 
Why is it that people think Kroos is more available than Modric? Kroos is 26 with 4 more years left in his contract. Modric will be 31 by the time the season starts and has 2 more years left in his contract. If Madrid were to get rid of one, You would think Modric would be the more 'gettable' one, no?
 
Sarni said:
Neither Neves nor Saul play the same role as Pogba. If Pogba comes here, he will be our #8 and will be the main playmaker, they are both more of #6 defensive midfielders - and I think in that role Mourinho is going to try Schneiderlin first.
Click to expand...

I don't see the playmaker trait in Pogba. Saul is a very versatile player and not a DM, Neves is more of a playmaker than Pogba is.
 
Dream signing for midfield would be Verratti. Realistically I suppose it would most likely be Matuidi I guess?

That would cover the 4th priority area nice and early, hopefully allowing us to turn our attention to secondary areas we'd like to strengthen. Who knows, maybe another star player will be attainable for big money in one of those positions?
 
Devil may care said:
Saul - I know he just signed a new contract but Mendes is his agent and owns 40% of his rights. The £56M buyout is excessive but wouldn't be a problem as it's nearly half of the Pogba fee and Atleti tend to make one big sale each summer.

Ruben Neves - Younger and not as attacking as Pogba, but has the quality in his passing range to be a great addition and give our midfield some much needed creativity.
Click to expand...


I would be absolutely delighted with either of these. Or Koke. :cool:
 
With the budjet of 100m there are tons of players that are available, some even better then Pogba.
 
The most similar player to Pogba is already playing for United. Zlatan.
And for the money they are trying to fetch for him you can get 2 absolute world class players without all the hype. But maybe selling shirts is top priority.
 
Matuidi seems to be the backup /thread
 
sullydnl said:
Dream signing for midfield would be Verratti. Realistically I suppose it would most likely be Matuidi I guess?

That would cover the 4th priority area nice and early, hopefully allowing us to turn our attention to secondary areas we'd like to strengthen. Who knows, maybe another star player will be attainable for big money in one of those positions?
Click to expand...

Matuidi doesn't fit the same profile though, Jose had supposedly earmarked important areas to improve the team, a new CB due to how unfit our others are outside Smalling and Blind, some top quality for the RW and more goals up front with a new striker, the other obvious defect was lack of creativity from midfield, Matuidi wouldn't solve that at all, he'd just add another water carrier to the team.
 
Andre Gomes or Isco come to mind. I don't think Madrid will sell Kroos as they'll play him and Pogba together, so that's off the cards I think.

I think that, had we signed Renato, we'd not be after Pogba now.
 
Neves is too inexperienced to come straight into our midfield and dominate. He's still relatively young and playing in a mediocre league, it would be a massive step up to be the main midfield man at United.

Mourinho knows our midfield has been our weakness for years, even with the latest additions and he's going all out and getting the best there is out there. I'm uncomfortable with the price tag and the fact that we already had him on our books but there's no doubting he would improve us massively.

Veratti is the only one that comes close for me, and is possibly better. Saul is a top talent but he's not on the same level as Pogba.
 
Matuidi is a very unspectacular option, but an option I think would be quality in the PL.

Dahoud has a lot of potential, won't be gettable this year though with them loosing both Xhaka and Nordtveit.

Gomes hasn't convinced me so far, seems to be okayish in most aspects but doesn't really excel in anything.

Kante would be brilliant for us. Also this would allow us to play schneid as a ball winning box to box mf and not as a pure DM which he doesn't have the positional awareness for.

Realistic CM signings is like realistic RW signings, there are really slim pickings.
 
In terms of playing a similar position to Pogba: Isco, Andre Gomes and Matuidi.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.