Real Madrid have started the summer on a blistering note having already made five signings so far – Eden Hazard, Luka Jovic, Eder Militao, Rodrygo, and Ferland Mendy.
The Galacticos don’t seem like they will stop anytime soon, as they are still being linked with new arrivals.
According to a report from the Metro, Los Blancos boss Zinedine Zidane has made his intentions clear about signing Manchester United’s Paul Pogba ahead of Tottenham Hotspur’s Christian Eriksen.
The Pogba, who will cost the club €150 million, managed 16 goals and 11 assists in 47 appearances across all competitions.
Paul Pogba over Christian Eriksen at the Bernabeu: A wise decision by Zidane?
Pogba is a versatile player who predominantly features as a central midfielder, but can slot in both defensive and attacking midfield roles with ease. This could allow Zidane, who usually sets up his side in a 4-3-3 formation, to be more flexible with his approach while setting up his midfield.
The World Cup winner had a good season with Manchester United even though he was blamed for being lackadaisical at times. His ability to maraud forward or control the tempo of the game from midfield would help Real Madrid change gear or possibly shutout teams by keeping the ball.
Pogba managed 1.5 dribbles, 5 long balls and 2.5 shots per game compared to Eriksen’s 0.6 dribbles, 2.3 long balls and 2.4 shots per game.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer exploited Pogba’s offensive nous by giving him a free role at times. However, apart from his offensive threat, the Frenchmen’s defensive contributions also eclipsed Eriksen’s efforts on the pitch.
Pogba averaged 1.3 tackles, 0.6 interceptions, 1.1 clearances and 0.2 blocks as compared to Dane’s 1 tackle, 0.6 interceptions, 0.3 clearances and 0.1 blocks per 90 minutes.
Real Madrid could face serious competition from Juventus, who have also expressed their desire to re-sign their former player.
Eriksen has also revealed his desire to leave Tottenham for a fresh challenge, but considering Pogba would add a lot more to the Real Madrid team than the Dane, the Frenchman seems like a better fit.
The only issue is the club will have to fork out a mammoth €150 million for Pogba, an outlay which seems a bit absurd unless they can get rid of one of their current stars for a high fee.
Stat Courtesy: Transfermarkt, Whoscored