French midfielder Paul Pogba has risen to prominence over the last year and a half as one of the finest prospects in European – and probably world – football. The youngster has shone on many occasions now in the Juventus shirt, and has already won one impressive Serie A title, along with being well on his way to a second in succession. However, it could all have been so different for the Frenchman.
As an even younger player, Pogba was under contract with Manchester United when Sir Alex Ferguson was the manager. It was expected he would become a star at Old Trafford within years after fleeting, yet impressive on the whole, cameos in the 2011-12 season. However, for a number of reasons, the midfielder departed England for Italy and Juve at the start of summer 2012 following the expiration of his contract at The Red Devils. Now we are seeing just what the Manchester side are missing out on in Pogba.
The 21-year-old is regularly deployed in a central midfield position in the Bianconeri team, in a defensive midfield role more than anything. This allows him to bridge the gap between defence and midfield, as well as giving the defence extra support against opposition attacks. He has emerged as a superb passer in the Italy team, particularly when setting up attacking moves using through balls and long balls. However, he has been known to be a threat himself, particularly with his menacing long shots; his height also gives him an aerial advantage, both when defending and attacking.
In short, Pogba is exactly the sort of player that the Manchester United fans have been crying out for, for years now. A proper, solid replacement for Paul Scholes, as it were, who retired at the end of last season. This is the role Pogba would now be playing in, alongside Michael Carrick at Old Trafford. A number have players have often been linked with a move to United to fill the gap – Cesc Fàbregas and Ander Herrera being two of them – but as yet the hierarchy are yet to bring in someone the fans are completely satisfied with.
If the Frenchman had renewed his contract with United in 2012, instead of departing for Serie A, it is likely that they would not now be still looking for a replacement to the afore-mentioned Scholes. Belgian midfielder Marouane Fellaini was signed from Everton on deadline day last summer for £27 million, and so far he hasn’t really made the desired impact at Old Trafford, with The Red Devils sitting in 7th place in the league. Some are now even starting to wonder why United spent so much on the Belgian international, because even though he has impressed over the last two seasons with Everton, he may not yet warrant such a hefty price-tag.
In the long-term, Paul Pogba would have improved the Manchester United team to no end. We are seeing now just how good he is, and you’d be hard-pressed to find a team who wouldn’t welcome him with open arms. Indeed, Arsenal, Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain have all been linked with moves for the 21-year-old, although La Vecchia Signora are likely to want to hold onto one of their prized assets.
There are a number of reasons as to why Pogba decided not to stay at Manchester United, but the main one is likely to be his dispute with then-manager Ferguson. Pogba often felt that he wasn’t trusted in some games when he felt perhaps he should have been. Indeed, he has recently come out and said that it was when Ferguson picked Rafael Da Silva and Ji-Sung Park over Pogba for a home game against Blackburn Rovers in December 2011 that the Frenchman decided to leave, “disgusted” at the selection. He said that at the time he felt he was in love with the club, and felt Mancunian to an extent. These quotes were in a Canal+ documentary about the Juventus star. Manchester United lost the game in question 3-2, so Pogba is understandably very disappointed at only being an unused substitute.
Since signing a contract in Turin, Pogba has been a regular in the side. In around 18 months in Italy, the 21-year-old has played 77 times in all competitions, and scored 13 goals, with some impressive strikes amongst them, such as against Napoli recently. He also made his senior international debut in 2013, earning 8 caps so far and scoring once, against Belarus in September. This came after he collectively won 54 caps at five different youth levels.
The French midfielder does indeed look at home playing in Italy. Playing and training alongside players like Andrea Pirlo, with years of experience and advice to pass on to the youngster is always helpful and a delight for a young player. At only 21, Paul Pogba is already looking like a superb player, and most certainly one who will be in and around the top level for many years to come. There are some United fans who are still in shock at their ability to lose the Frenchman to Juventus. It was perhaps Ferguson’s biggest mistake in his final seasons at Old Trafford, and one anyone inside the club is sure to regret for years to come.