Pogba - Juventus Vs Real

A lot has been said and made of Pogba from is lazy style of play, tracking runners, his haircuts, social media presence, and the transfer fee. More recently the news is all about his move away to Real or Juventus, both who are unable to meet his valuation (ranging from130m to 150m,depending on the media you read).

Why Real and Juventus want him

Those above the manager in those teams want him for his commercial and social media presence. He has sold the most shirts, has a very big following online and he is a very good player.

More clearly, Juventus want him as they want to improve their midfield and add another leader into the squad. They felt their midfield was overburdened in the CL and Pjanic needs help on the biggest stage. At times he had to stop counter attacks on his own. They believe he'll add another dimension to the team as well.

Real need a midfielder,a rebuild (that's already underway) and want a statement signing. While those above the manager would prefer Erikssen due to his price and their good relationship with Levy, Zidane only wants Pogba. They have given into the demands of the manager but the price is a stumbling block, despite reports that Pogba is willing to take a wage cut. There is also a need to look beyond the current duo of Modric and Kroos, both in their 30s,as they don't want to be late and replacing them.

Zidane managed to convince at Real that Pogba would add competitiveness, leadership and bring a good atmosphere to the club. He already speaks Spanish as his wife/GF (some reports say wife, others GF) is Bolivian. Zidane is also convinced he is the man to bring the best out of Pogba.

Leadership has come up often. This may surprise United fans and those that have observed him in England. He was inspirational for France, giving pep talks to their run to the World Cup and a highly respected figure in the French squad. He is able to get along with players of different ages, background and personality. There are reports that even Ole has acknowledged this quality with Pogba.

This quality is rarely seen on field or reported on in the press. It's something that seems to happen behind closed doors in the changing rooms and training ground. Pogba doesn't fit the type of Captain that United fans, or English media are used to. Keane, Cantona, Robson are those that they associate as leaders. Pogba's depiction by the press and on field presence doesn't match those greats. It may be unfair to judge him by those players as they are from a different era. And era where someone would say "Men were men".

Cont.