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The Paul Pogba story has been anything but what the tabloids predicted a couple of seasons ago. His first touch on his return in a United t-shirt was absolutely horrendous and probably that was the good ol' omens telling us that everything was not just to be all Rosy for the new Red Devil.
And that was actually what seems to have happened to the world's once most expensive player. He reportedly cost United near to €110mil when the French midfielder returned to his boyhood club after a successful stint at Juventus among much fanfare. Although he continues to remain a fan-favourite at the Stretford End, his performance has been highly erratic. Some nights he is an absolute Beast on the pitch winning the 50/50 tackles and marshalling the midfield like a seasoned veteran while on other nights he simply looks uninterested and his work-rate and efficiency drops down dizzyingly.
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Jose Mourinho has not helped the matters either as he continuously deployed PaulPogba in a 2 man deep-lying midfield alongside Matic in a 4-2-3-1 formation with the Frenchman making it absolutely clear that he is most comfortable while playing on the left side of a midfield three in a 4-3-3. However, the Portuguese coach did not relent and even called out Pogba to be more efficient off the ball and the pair had a fall-out in a humiliating 2-0 loss to Tottenham.
Injuries and a few suspensions also kept him out of the reckoning for a good period of time and he was definitely not thrilled with the prospect of not playing football on a regular basis. Finally, what many consider to be the final nail in the coffin was Pogba being left out of the starting 11 against Sevilla which led to United being ousted at the last-16 stage by the Spanish side.
Among all these reasons the boring football being played under the former Madrid coach has resulted in a visible downfall in Pogba's attacking game and has not helped him realize his full potential in a United t-shirt. Compare this with his outstanding performance for France which concluded with Pogba lifting the World Cup - Paul was an absolute monster, he was their leader on the pitch and was their most influential player by far.
It is understandable that the current World Cup winner is looking for new pastures and he will leave behind a big void at Old Trafford. Let us take a look at players who can fill this huge hole in the United team and continue bringing glory to the red half of Manchester.
#3 Sergej Milinković-Savić
Currently, the most sought-after talent in the whole of Europe is being touted as the perfect replacement should the World-Cup winning Frenchman decides to leave. He has been the midfield maestro for Lazio as helped the Italian team finish 5th in Serie A as they just missed out on a Champions League spot due to their Head-to-Head record against Inter.
The 23-year-old finished the season strongly as he scored a whopping 12 goals and assisted 4 times in 35 appearances for Lazio as he played the catalyst in the Italian side for a Champions League Spot. He also shined in Lazio's European travels in the Europa League as he scored 2 beautiful goals and assisted another 3 goals.
The Serbian will be perfect like for like replacement and with his attacking flair and dominance in the air should endear himself to the Red Devils supporter much faster than what many would like to believe.
Lazio's president Claudio Lotito has said on record that he will listen to offers Sergej Milinković-Savić should the price quoted by the buyer be correct. And money should be a no-problem situation for United as they can offer the money if they dig deep into their pockets or rather can fund the transfer with the money they will be able to recoup from Pogba sale.
Regardless, the addition of the Serbian to this United side will bring in a lot of balance and will probably soften the blow for the supporters were their superstar player was to leave.
#2 Adrien Rabiot
The French midfielder will also be a suitable replacement for his compatriot. The PSG starlet has been on United's radar for quite some time now with the Manchester club trying to hire his services under Louis Van Gaal's stewardship only for Rabiot to turn them down and sign a new deal with PSG.
Since then he has been a constant presence in the PSG side and has made himself a fan-favourite at Parc-des-Princes despite the presence of superstars such as Neymar, Cavani, Mbappe, Draxler among others. The holding midfielder finished the season with 5 goals and 7 assists in all competitions as he helped PSG to storm to a domestic treble.
However, his ill temperament has been a concern for the French side as they have stalled on a new deal and their home-grown talent has now entered the final year of his deal.
And should a situation is to arise where Pogba ends up leaving the Red Devils it will make perfect financial sense for Ed Woodward - a shrewd businessman - to go after Rabiot as he will cost considerably less. This would leave Jose with a bigger war chest and he will be able to invest in other areas of the pitch - most notably a central defender and a right-winger.
#1 Toni Kroos
There will be a huge uproar should the Stretford End witness their most influential player in Pogba leave the Carrington Training Centre - Once Again. And as Florentino Perez has time and again showed that the best way to placate anguished fans is by signing a Galactico.
Toni Kroos fits the bill perfectly. At only 28 years the world-cup winning midfielder has proven time and again why he is considered the BEST in his position and what a huge Pep Guardiola made when he sold the German to Real Madrid. He finished the 2017/18 campaign with 5 goals and 10 assists including 3 assists in the Champions League as the German Wizard guided Real to a third consecutive victory in Europe's most elite competition.
His skills and guile are second to none in the game plus his no-nonsense approach both on and off the field will bring in much-needed stability at Old Trafford. The German is a serial winner and with his leadership qualities will able to wake up the sleeping giants - in Manchester - and will guide the Red Devils to their former pedestal - To be the Best club in the World.
The former Bayern Munich player is still in his prime and would seamlessly fit into the midfield at Manchester should Woodward is able to persuade Perez by making an offer the Spaniard cannot refuse.
