Real Madrid’s ‘Operation 200’ to sign French superstar: Do they really need him?

Real Madrid are reportedly taking extreme measures to ensure they land Manchester United star Paul Pogba this summer.

According to the Sun, Los Blancos are looking to initiate ‘Operation 200’ which will include five players ready to be offloaded for a minimum of £200 million as Real Madrid try to make funds and space for the Frenchman at Santiago Bernabeu.

The list includes the likes of Gareth Bale, James Rodriguez, Isco, Marco Asensio and Dani Ceballos.

Pogba and his agent Mino Raiola have been vocal about the player’s desire to leave Old Trafford as the 26-year-old looks for new challenges elsewhere.

However, the World Cup winner has travelled with the Red Devils on their pre-season tour with his future hanging in balance.

Do Real Madrid really need Paul Pogba?

Pogba’s arrival would allow  Zinedine Zidane, who generally sets up his side in a 4-3-3 formation, to be more flexible with his approach.

His ability to maraud forward or control the tempo of the game from midfield would help the capital club change gear or possibly shutout teams by keeping the ball.

The World Cup winner is also good with both feet and possesses the physicality and the technical skill to change the course of the game in an instant.

He managed 1.5 dribbles, 5 long balls and 2.5 shots per game while recording 16 goals and 11 assists across all competitions for Manchester United last season.

Although his offensive potential eclipses his defensive contributions on the pitch, the 26-year-old still recorded 1.3 tackles, 0.6 interceptions, and 1.1 clearances per game on an average.

Pogba enjoyed a good season with Manchester United, even though he was blamed for being lackadaisical on certain occasions.

The latter is likely to take care of itself once the Frenchman arrives at a new destination trying to prove himself under a different manager as it happened at Old Trafford when the Manchester club moved from Jose Mourinho to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

The former Juventus man is in high demand and is priced at an extravagant £150 million by his current employers, which could act as a roadblock in Pogba’s path to the Spanish capital.

However, in case the move materialises, someone like Pogba could be the final piece of the jigsaw in midfield for Real Madrid who have added a lot of firepower to their team this summer.

Stat Courtesy: Transfermarkt, Whoscored