Thomas Hein
The United rollercoaster races on and we’re nowhere close to having a settled title challenging side than at any point since 2013. Much will depend on who gets the manager’s job this summer, but whoever has the job will face some huge challenges.
A quick look at the UK betting apps will underline just how far off being considered serious challengers United are, and that situation doesn’t seem to be improving anytime soon.
Somewhere near the top of the list of issues to resolve is the status of Paul Pogba. First the good news. According to Ralf Rangnick, Pogba will rejoin the first team in early February. He has been absent from each of the past 13 games, having last played on November 2 in the Champions League tie with Atalanta.
Following his red card against Liverpool, he was banned for three games back in November. And the subsequent International break resulted in more bad news for United as Pogba suffered a hamstring problem while practising with the France national squad. He flew to the Middle East to focus on his recuperation and returned to the UK a month later, shortly after Rangnick was named the temporary manager.
Pogba’s future?
Pogba won’t be available for Saturday’s match against West Ham but Rangnick is hopeful that the World Cup winner will be returning to fitness in early February. Ralf has also said that Pogba had made an instant impression in training. But significantly, when asked about a new contract for the French star, the interim boss was non-commital.
That is not surprising, given the recent speculation. According to reports in several European tabloids, Pogba is carefully evaluating a new deal in the context of possible issues with Rangnick. United are open to retaining him, but with fewer than six months left on his current deal, Pogba is in the driving seat.
PSG, Real Madrid, and Juventus are all interested, with PSG reportedly more eager. A return to his homeland might allure the midfielder and he is said to have reservations about renewing his contract at Old Trafford partly because he feels that Rangnick may not be his greatest supporter. That might be a reference to his remarks from 2017 when Rangnick said that he would not replace Naby Keita with the Frenchman. It’s unknown if the two have had any additional issues at Old Trafford.
Pogba may be waiting until the summer to see who will be chosen as the permanent manager, but United will need to know sooner than that if they are to find an adequate replacement. While there would no doubt be some relief among sections of the United support at the departure of Pogba. He has never managed to convince everyone of his commitment, for all that there has been no doubt about his talent, the news that he could be set for an early exit will put considerable pressure on the club’s recruiters.
Potential replacements?
One possible replacement is Tanguy Ndombele, who hasn’t made himself a regular at Tottenham under Antonio Conte, and has the sort of physical presence that United could certainly use in midfield. However, a more intriguing proposition is young Monaco star Aurelien Tchouameni, who has been making a big impression in Ligue 1.
While Tchouameni can certainly play the defensive midfield role that United have been trying to fill for several seasons, he can make a contribution in offensive areas and has plenty of time to improve.
A similar type of player but with vastly more experience would be Ruben Neves, who could form a big partnership with Bruno Fernandes.
But if United really want to make a splash and bring in a player who might be Pogba’s equal, Jude Bellingham would be a more interesting option. His performances for Dortmund both domestically and in European competition, have been sensational and although he is only 18, he has already established a hugely impressive reputation. Not only could he eventually come close to being as good as Pogba, he would have youth on his side and would represent a forward-looking signing.
Whichever side of the fence you are on when it comes to Pogba, all United fans can agree that the situation needs to be resolved in the next few months so the club can move forward.
