How Do Manchester United Replace Paul Pogba

The stories around Paul Pogba at Manchester United always swing one way or another. Ever since Pogba joined United in 2016, it is safe to say that not everyone has been convinced if he has ever completely justified his then world-record transfer fee of €105m. What everyone can agree to, however, is that he has certainly shown flashes of his ability and his seemingly unlimited potential. The United fanbase seems to be split into two major chunks; one believes he is equal to Kevin De Bruyne, and the other believes he has been a waste of money, and is arrogant and simply too flashy.

The reality, however, lies somewhere between the two. Pogba has been consistently good, hitting levels of "great" in parts during his time at United. A standout match would United's 3-2 victory over Manchester City on 7th April 2018, where United came from 2-0 down at half-time and Pogba scored two crucial goals. He also went on a hot-streak during Solskjaer's initial days as the interim manager. He has consistently been United's best ball carrier and chief ball progressor, whilst also contributing goals and assists. It was widely believed that he was the only one who was carrying United on his shoulders and simply couldn't keep up.

In early December 2020, Mino Raiola (Paul Pogba's agent) said “I can say it’s over for Paul Pogba at Manchester United.". This was a damning statement from the garrulous agent and seems to all but confirm that his client's time at United is coming to an end. A lot of credit must be given to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who has handled the situation incredibly well and has played Pogba instead of freezing him out of the squad. Pogba to his credit has also performed well, contributing crucial goals against West Ham, Burnley, and most recently a wonder goal against Fulham. Since Pogba's contract ends in 2022, it can be assumed United cannot fully recuperate the fees paid to Juventus. Also, we can assume that United would still push for Jadon Sancho and would spend a major chunk of their budget on him. It would thus be sensible to assume a €50m budget for United to spend on a midfielder.

What does Pogba bring to United?

 

Pogba has most commonly played as one of the 2 deep midfielders in Solskjaer's 4-2-3-1. Pogba brings ball progression from deep, with 47 passes per game with an accuracy of 83.2%. He also helps to collect the ball from the defense and evade the initial opposition press, completing 1.3 dribbles per game. He plays 3.3 long balls per game and provides 0.8 key passes per game, with his long passing being an effective tactic for United to switch wings and release forwards behind opposition defenses. 

Given how Ole has usually paired him up with Nemanja Matic due to the latter's defensive capabilities, and the favored pairing of Fred and McTominay at the base of midfield in bigger games, we can deduce that it would be better to focus on a defensive-minded midfielder, who is also comfortable on the ball and is capable of playing long balls occasionally if needed. This would also help United to accommodate Donny Van De Beek long term, who is a very good player and certainly deserves more game time than he is currently getting. I will stray away from players I have previously mentioned like Manuel Locatelli or Yves Bissouma (Please see "How to fix Barcelona - a short essay"), but this in no way means I wouldn't recommend them. In fact, I would personally take either of those players.

1. Konrad Laimer

Laimer is currently out with a long-term knee injury and hasn't played this season. This is potentially a red flag for teams, and United could face lesser competition for Laimer because of it. Given that he's only 23, I would be willing to take a risk on the Austrian midfielder. In 2019/20, he completed 4.3 tackles+interceptions per 90 compared to the 2.4 Pogba is putting up this season. He completed 44 passes with an 81% passing accuracy. He played 2.2 long balls per 90 whilst completing 1.2 dribbles per 90. We have to consider the fact that he has also made some appearances as a right-back; however, it remains no secret that the Austrian is an exceptional ball winner in midfield and is a high volume presser.

It is clear to see that he is not the player Pogba is on the ball - not even close - but he would suit the role currently needed at Manchester United, which is of a potentially elite ball-winning defensive midfielder who frees up other midfielders to excel at their roles. 

2. Boubacar Kamara

The French midfielder is one of the highlights of Marseille's recent revival story. Coming through their youth setup, he covered arguably every position in defense - center back, left-back before eventually settling in at defensive midfield. He is not the perfect player yet, but is still just 21 and has plenty of time to develop.

However, even at such a young age, he puts up some impressive numbers. He makes 3.2 tackles and 1.6 interceptions (4.8 T+I in total) per 90. He is also a volume passer, completing almost 55 passes per game whilst also completing 3.4 long balls per 90. He also creates 0.5 chances from deep, which is decent.

Kamara is fairly press resistant, a good tackler, and possesses a good first touch. He has his weaknesses though, and as Scouted Football puts it, he struggles to deal with quicker opponents and needs to improve at reading spaces. Transfermarkt currently values him at around 30m euros, but with the financial struggles of almost every Ligue 1 team, coupled with the circus that went on recently at Marseille and the fact that his contract expires in the summer of 2022, he could be available for around 20m euros in the summer. For United, this could be a very sensible punt, with the signing being of relatively low risk but of potentially a very high reward.