Manchester City is expected to be one of the busiest teams in the upcoming transfer market.
Manuel Pellegrini will be disappointed to have ended last season trophy-less and is understood to want to bring in some younger talent into his squad. Rumors have linked City to many world class players but one name that has been consistently linked to the Citizens is Paul Pogba. The 22-year-old Frenchman enjoyed a fantastic season with Juventus who narrowly missed out on winning the treble, as it was beaten in the UEFA Champions League final by Barcelona.
City are not the only one that are hot on the heels of the Juventus star. Many of Europe’s elite including Barcelona, Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid are understood to be chasing the Frenchman’s signature.
But with the probable exit of star midfielder Yaya Toure, City are likely to go all out to sign Pogba. Toure’s future at the Etihad has been under constant speculation, with Inter Milan keen on attaining his services. Nerazurri manager Roberto Mancini is keen to re-unite with Toure after the duo enjoyed much success at City a few years ago. With Mancini determined to land his man, Inter currently sits in the driver’s seat to sign Toure. Although recent reports suggest Toure might see out his final two years on his City contract, the Sky Blues seem eager to offload the Ivorian and free up the £200,000 plus they pay him in weekly wages.
The two players are considered very similar in terms of style. They both play in similar positions in midfield and are not at all afraid to have a go from long-range, reflected by the goalscoring records of the pair.
Much like Toure, Pogba is a master in breaking up play and is not shy to run with the ball. They both possess incredible free kick techniques and provide an aerial threat. The duo have scored around the same number of goals the past season, while also making a similar amount of appearances.
[interaction id=”557f0ee5aeabca144bfe744d”]
If all that was not enough, they also stand at exactly the same height. The only difference between the two is the 10-year age gap that separates them, making Pogba all the more ideal as a replacement. Toure is now 32 and is entering the twilight of his career, and although he still has a lot to offer, a move away seems to make more and more sense from City’s point of view.
Pogba previously had a spell in England with City’s cross-town rivals Manchester United, where he was part of the club’s youth setup. He spent around four years at Old Trafford before moving to Juventus on a free transfer. Pogba showed a lot of promise during his time in England, but was unable to earn a regular starting place under then United manager, Sir Alex Ferguson.
He did not leave United on the best of terms and now City can provide the perfect opportunity for Pogba to show that he can excel in English football. Having already lived in Manchester for a few years, Pogba will not have any problems adjusting in England, as some foreign players do.
For City fans, if you ever have any doubt about the Frenchman’s abilities, remember that apart from winning six trophies with Juventus in his three-year spell in Turin, he has also won the U-20 World Cup with France in 2013, winning the Golden Ball in the same competition. Besides these, he has been named in the Serie A team of the year (2013-14) and was also awarded Europe’s Golden Boy award in 2013 as well as the 2014 FIFA World Cup’s best young player award.
https://youtu.be/awqbNBDkQKw
With Pellegrini looking to have a younger look to his side next season, Pogba fits the bill. City have been linked to Kevin De Bruyne, Raheem Sterling and many more when the transfer window opens, but Pogba stays atop City’s wanted list. City are reportedly preparing a bid of around £60 million as they try and tempt Juventus to sell their prized possession. With only rumors to rely on at the moment, we can only wait and watch as the Pogba transfer saga unfolds.
What are your thoughts? Let us know by dropping a comment below via our Facebook comment box. Make sure you follow us on Twitter @Outside90 and like us on Facebook.
