The phrase ‘the one that got away’ may often be used in a romantic context, but Manchester United are certainly realising that it does have real meaning in the world of football. The Red Devils allowed Paul Pogba to walk out of the door last year for free after the Frenchman grew frustrated by a lack of opportunities in the first-team.
Although some fans may not have been to bothered to see a player who was jus 19 at the time move on, the alarm bells must have been ringing when Italian giants Juventus fought off a stream of interested parties to snap up the rangy midfielder.
Fast-forward just almost 18 months, and Pogba is now one of Europe’s leading enforcers. Sir Alex Ferguson didn’t do much wrong in his career – as his 13 Premier League and two Champions League winners medals illustrate – but allowing the youngster to walk away from the club for absolutely nothing could prove to be a massive blunder. There is only one way that United can really replicate this, and that is to bring Pogba back, so should they consider doing so?
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Manchester City’s elite development manager Patrick Vieira certainly thinks that the starlet is worth the fuss, describing him as a “great player” In a recent interview with L’Equipe, as well as stating his regret at not ensuring that he moved to City rather than Juve. Although Vieira may not be one of the most popular characters at Old Trafford, there is no doubting that he knows what he is talking about. The Frenchman was the lynchpin of Arsenal’s midfield throughout the ‘Invincibles’ era and lifted the World Cup in 1998 with Les Bleus during a glittering career that saw him turn out for the likes of AC Milan and Inter Milan. There are few better players to comment on Pogba – who has been dubbed ‘the new Vieira’ on multiple occasions – so his glowing verdict on the midfielder shows just how good he is, and can be.
There may be some apprehension to re-sign their former youth star, with a move likely to be seen as admission of a mistake having been made. However, Barcelona – one of the greatest club sides on the planet – have a history of snapping up players that have previously left their bosom to play for other sides. Two names to that often frequent their team sheet now have both been brought back to the Nou Camp in recent times. Cesc Fabregas was allowed to leave the Catalan outfit as a teenager to pursue a career with Arsenal, while Gerard Pique spent some time at United before returning to Spain.
The pair have since thrived, and are regarded as two of the very best players in their respective positions in the world. Barcelona saw that they had made an error in allowing them to leave, so acted quickly and decisively to convince them to return. United could follow that example with Pogba. Although he doesn’t have quite the same tie to the Red Devils as Fabregas and Pique have with Barca, having spent some of his formative years at the club, he will surely have an emotional attachment with them.
Although he is quickly becoming a key player Juve, the Italians have already confessed that he may be sold in the not too distant future. With this admission, a return to the Premier League is a genuine possibility, with the top English sides a few of the only teams on the planet that can offer the financial rewards that top, top players desire.
Any potential deal would likely cost upwards of £30m – which would signal a massive financial boo boo on the part of United – while the club would also have to fight off interest from the likes of City, Chelsea, Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain. However, even the slimmest possibility of putting right a major wrong may well be worth taking.
After all, Pogba is just the sort of player Manchester United are currently missing, and his return may be enough to help the club build on their 20 league titles and further cement their spot as England’s dominant club force.
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