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Zinedine Zidane should drop the chase for Paul Pogba before it’s too late

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Zidane should drop the chase for Paul Pogba
190720, Fotboll, Träningsmatch, Manchester United - Inter : Soccer Football - International Champions Cup - Manchester United v Inter Milan - Singapore National Stadium, Singapore - July 20, 2019 Manchester United's Paul Pogba in action with Inter Milan's Marcelo Brozovic REUTERS/Feline Lim © Bildbyrån - COP 7 - SWEDEN ONLY

With the transfer window still 11 days away from slamming shut for the Premier League, English giants are under a considerable amount of spotlight this summer. While the Red Devils are trying hard to sign players at the right price, they are also fighting tooth and nail to keep hold of their most prized asset, Paul Pogba.

The Frenchman is being hounded by Real Madrid and Juventus at the moment. Both Pogba nad his agent Mino Raiola have stated his desire to leave openly, albeit the 26-year-old has hardly shown any kind of discontent on United’s preseason tour.

Manchester United are unwilling to let Pogba leave. They have slapped a ÂŁ180m price tag on the midfielder, compelling many footballing connoisseurs to think whether the evaluation actually holds any sense.

The rumour mill is recently churning reports about Real Madrid being ready to shell out the asking price for Pogba even at the behest of Florentino Perez’s reluctance. Zinedine Zidane wants Pogba to join Los Blancos as he is a fervent admirer of the Frenchman, but the same can’t be said of Real Madrid’s president. And there are quite strong reasons to see why that is so.

When it comes to flexing the financial muscle in the transfer market, few can perform the task better than Real Madrid. Los Merengues don’t give it a second thought when it comes emptying their coffers for a player they are very fond of. The fact that the Spanish giants are being linked with a blockbuster move for Paul Pogba after having already spent ÂŁ300m this summer tells you why they are probably the richest club in the world.

However, spending £180m on Paul Pogba would invite more troubles than the problems it would solve. The Frenchman is no doubt an elite footballer, but the asking price is far from being justified. Forking out that gigantic amount could also mean Real Madrid could face investigations from UEFA for possible breach of the Financial Fair Play rules. Eden Hazard, Luka Jovic, Rodrygo Goes, Eder Militao and Ferland Mendy have come in for exchange of €303m and shelling over €100m for yet another star would land the club in trouble with football authorities.

Moving on, the ÂŁ150m also doesn’t appear justified given the World Cup winner’s performances for the Red Devils. Since arriving at Old Trafford from Juventus for a club-record ÂŁ90m fee, Pogba has only partly fulfilled the expectations that came with his price tag.

The Frenchman has churned out intermittent performances in all three seasons at Manchester United, irregularly displaying the sparks of his quality. Undoubtedly, Pogba has a lot to offer from his locker, but consistency isn’t one of those qualities. Season 2018/19 was his best campaign on a personal level, but the levels of equilibrium were still missing.

Pogba, apart from his antiques on the pitch, has also attracted eyeballs for his behaviour off it. The Frenchman was at the center of the squabble with ex-boss Jose Mourinho. The pair were at loggerheads for the most part of their time working together, eventually resulting in the Portuguese tactician’s sacking. While Mourinho shares the major part of the blame for his dismissal, Pogba’s indiscipline also accounts for criticism.

To think of it, Real Madrid also have better options to think of as alternatives for the midfielder. Bruno Fernandes of Sporting CP has made waves with his emphatic performances. The Portuguese playmaker is available at a cheaper price and is also younger to Pogba. That makes him a better option to avail for the long term.

Tottenham’s Christian Eriksen is also available for the same price as Fernandes. The Dane has wealthy experience and has been a better consistency than his French counterpart.

It’s up to Florentino Perez now to convince Zinedine Zidane to switch his targets and try for a better choice instead.

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