In a tale of two managers returning to their beloved football clubs, the pressure to succeed remains high as ever. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has managed to secure a permanent job at Manchester United with a string of nostalgic performances and remaining unbeaten in his first 11 games in charge.
Zinedine Zidane finds himself in a very different situation with Real Madrid who sit third in the Spanish La Liga, 15 points behind their arch-rivals Barcelona. The departure of their talisman Cristiano Ronaldo last summer and the inevitable departure of Gareth Bale next season leaves Zidane with a busy transfer window next summer.
Real Madrid boss Zidane has recently made the following comments over Spanish radio network La Cadena SER, "I like Pogba a lot, that is nothing new. I know him personally. He is a different type of player, he contributes a lot and there are few players that contribute as much as him. He's a midfielder that knows how to attack and to defend."
Paul Pogba rejoined Manchester United in 2016 from Juventus for £89m, a world record fee at the time. There have been many doubts over his tenure at Manchester United however with his success at the 2018 World Cup in Russia and a resurgence under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Pogba has scored 8 times and further assisted 6 goals for the Red Devils in the English Premier League.
The French midfielder remains one the most sought after midfielders in world football with leading clubs vying for his signature.
Spanish national daily Marca claims that Pogba's agent Mino Raiola has held talks with Real Madrid over a transfer in the summer. Reports claim that Paul Pogba would be keen to join Zinedine Zidane, his childhood idol at Real Madrid next summer. It is further reported that Pogba previously desired to join Real Madrid in 2016.
Reports linking the French talisman away from Manchester United have put Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's first full season at Manchester United in jeopardy and the prospect of losing one of his best players could prove quite damaging.
Ole Gunnar Soskjaer has recently lavished praise over Paul Pogba and fellow teammate Marcus Rashford and seems determined to keep the pair at Old Trafford, stating "the pair are vital to his plans of building a team worthy of the history of the club" according to Reuters.
While on international duty, Paul Pogba was quoted saying it would be a "dream" to play for Zinedine Zidane's Real Madrid.
Zinedine Zidane is sure to make a pursuit for Pogba in the summer. The French midfielder remains a key player for the Red Devils this term in their fight to finish top four. Although, as exit rumors emerge in the background, Solskjaer faces an uphill battle to keep the French star at the helm next summer.