Top registas Manchester United should target to get the best out of Paul Pogba

Solving the riddle of how to fit Paul Pogba into the United team and get him to deliver his best performances is one that has been dividing opinion among fans and pundits alike.

While he may have gotten his dream move back to Old Trafford, it has not been smooth sailing for the gifted Frenchman since he returned to the Premier League.

The issue over how best to deploy him and get the best out of him has been a recurring issue for two seasons now as Jose Mourinho continues to struggle with coming up with a system that keeps the defensive strength he craves while allowing the Frenchman express himself.

Pogba’s best moments in football came at Juventus where he had a certain maestro: Andrea Pirlo dictating play alongside him. Pirlo’s playmaking abilities allowed Pogba the freedom to play his box-to-box footballing style to the best of his abilities.

Here is a list of 5 top registas that can help the team & get Pogba firing again:

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#5 Rúben Neves (Wolverhampton Wanderers)

Neves would be a brilliant long-term addition to United's midfield

An exceptional young deep-lying playmaker that already has knowledge of the English game would make a great signing to address Manchester United’s regista needs; enter Wolves’ impressive Portuguese superstar.

The 20-year-old made history in 2015 by becoming the youngest player to captain a team in a UEFA Champions League match (at age 18 years and 221 days).

He has been described as been more mature than players of his age are usually and this is seen in his style of play.

A midfielder who defends like a matured centre-back would: with intelligence and an excellent reading of the game; he possesses a bouquet of skills similar to that of the best players in his position.

He has excellent long-range passing and the vision to by-pass opposition midfield with balls over the top. In the Wolves’ side, he is tasked with dictating the pace of play and plays the role to perfection as he gets the ball out of his feet and passes quickly.

This defensive nous coupled with his brilliant passing and ability to dictate the tempo of a game means he would be perfect to fill the missing regista role at Old Trafford and help Pogba play his best football.

He has been the standout player in the Championship this season and given that he just joined for £15.8m, he could command a pretty high transfer fee.

#4 Jorginho (SSC Napoli)

The regista supremo, Jorginho would certainly make Pogba's life easier

The pass master and regista supreme, Jorginho is a player who would be the answer to all of Manchester United’s midfield issues.

A majestic passer of the ball who is adept at recycling possession, slowing or quickening the tempo depending on what the game needs as well as being blessed with the vision to make long searching passes to the flanks or dissecting opposing defences with through passes.

He is the glue that holds the team together, the king of the pre-assist and tempo dictator for a Napoli side that plays with the verve and enthusiasm that United have been trying to muster all season.

He is no stranger to fulfilling certain defensive functions as he is a capable man marker who is able and willing to put in more than his share of tackles.

Jorginho’s presence in the centre of the Red Devils’ midfield means that Pogba will be able to occupy the left-hand side of a three-man midfield and drive forward to support the attack.

The wingers; Anthony Martial, Alexis Sanchez, Marcos Rashford and Jesse Lingard would also benefit from the Italian international’s vision and passing as they would be able to stretch opposing defences better with their runs in anticipation of Jorginho’s exceptional long-range passing.

He is a very crucial player for Napoli so managing director Ed Woodward may have to go as high as £60m to get him to Old Trafford.

#3 Ivan Rakitic (FC Barcelona)

The exceptional Croatian would be an instant hit at Old Trafford if he joins

The Croatian with the golden mane, Rakitic would be an excellent purchase for Manchester United if he can be gotten.

He is a player whose style of play at Barca means he is tailor-made to occupy that crucial regista spot at United as his passing ability has helped the team to bypass a stubborn midfield in certain matches.

One of his biggest strengths is his technical ability in possession. He strikes the ball well; his passing is regular, purposeful and inventive (long range and short) and he can take on a player or two with a quick change of pace and forward motion.

This means he can be trusted to carry the ball forward in certain situations where an extra runner in the middle is needed, an asset that would be of great value to the Red Devils in tight games.

The Croatian has the unique ability to be always available to receive possession which becomes a means of keeping the opposition pinned back.

The closeness of his play as a complement to Sergio Busquets’ means he will be comfortable in either a midfield dup or trio thereby allowing Pogba do his thing further up the pitch.

#2 Thiago Alcantara (FC Bayern Munich)

The controller, Thiago's possible arrival will take the Red Devils' midfield to a different level

La Masia darling and the creative fulcrum of Bayern, it is doubtful if the Spanish international will be willing to play for Pep Guardiola’s biggest rival given his history with the Catalan manager.

However, if United and manager Mourinho can come to an agreement with the prodigiously talented Thiago, the team will be getting a genuine world-class talent who still has quite a lot to offer

Blessed with an incredible balance and agility that allows him to skip into space and past a marker, Thiago is also capable of playing the long searching balls either in the air on the ground that are the hallmark of all the world’s best registas.

He is able to retain possession under pressure and dribble past opponents into space in order to create chances for his teammates, something Ander Herrera has consistently failed to do.

Unlike United’s current Spanish midfielder and Pogba, the son of former Brazilian World Cup winner Mazinho has the tactical and positional discipline plus ability to dictate the tempo of a match and would serve United very well especially in the big games against fellow top teams.

#1 Toni Kroos (Real Madrid)

The dream, getting Kroos to sign for the Red Devils would be an unbelievable coup

The arch-regista, deep-lying playmaker supreme, and world-class metronome, getting Kroos to leave the reigning European champions & the world’s most successful club may be akin to pulling teeth from a lion but if Mourinho & Woodward can pull it off, it would be of great benefit to the club.

The complete midfielder, Kroos is a player who averages more than a 90% passing average every game and is at the heart of dictating play for both Real Madrid & the German national teams.

His long and short range passing vision which has helped start a lot of attacks for Los Merengues means that the United forward line would improve in terms of dynamism and be able to get on the front foot quickly if he joins.

His ability to retain his cool and keep position while being harassed by the opposition is one thing that stands him out from the best registas in world football.

With Kroos by his side, Pogba would flourish and return to the kind of level he showed at Juventus; the confident, assertive and intelligent midfielder that sought to dominate at all times.