After there was so much buzz about Pogba to Barça, the Frenchman’s performances have shown Barcelona made the right choice not signing him.
Stop me if you’ve heard this before. Paul Pogba to Barcelona.
Everyone has heard this through rumors and conjecture. But one thing was certain; these links were there for a reason.
Pogba’s been one of the best talents in Europe the past few seasons. His strength, powerful shot, flair, and highlight moments vaulted him to the top of every manager’s wish list. Yet, very,very few clubs could afford him.
Juventus refused to sell Pogba for anything less than his buyout clause. So if a club wanted Pogba, they were going to have to shell out €100 million.
That’s a figure very few clubs in the world can reach. Real Madrid, PSG, Manchester United, Manchester City, and Barcelona were the only clubs you would think can heft out this enormous fee. Manchester United and Barcelona were the two strongest links.
You can see why Barcelona would want to sign Pogba: age, flash, power, etc. The club led us to believe they couldn’t financially afford Pogba’s fee. But after all the signings Barça made this past summer, forgive me for calling their bluff.
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Barcelona ultimately made the right call. With the money they would’ve spent on Pogba, they’ve been able to add key additions like Umtiti, Digne, Denis, and Gomes. It’s always better to bring in multiple players with €100 million rather than one. (Ask Tottenham, they’ll concur)
But there’s a second, and more note-worthy reason: Pogba hasn’t been very good this year.
I don’t want this to turn into a “Why is Pogba struggling at Manchester United?” article. I feel that’s self-evident, and there’s certainly a far greater number of people who understand that situation better than I. But that’s not the point.
The point is that Pogba would be under the same amount, and I’d argue more, pressure at Barcelona than he is right now in Manchester. Why would this be the case? Because he would be messing with a Barcelona midfield that’s had tremendous success.
Who would he have replaced? Surely not Iniesta or Busquets, because he’s not the same type of player that they are. That would have left Rakitic, and I honestly believe that would have been a downgrade for Barcelona.
Pogba would have certainly added more skill to Barça’s midfield, but that’s not what is needed. Barcelona’s midfield needs a workhorse: someone who will constantly run up the pitch and do all the dirty work. A typical box-to-box midfielder, which is the perfect role for Rakitic.
Pogba certainly has the skills to do it, but the focus is where the problem lies. I’m not so sure he would be willing to run for all 90 minutes. Would he lose motivation to constantly win the ball back? What about sitting deeper to account for Messi and Neymar to cut in? I’d bet my money on no.
One over priced player who wouldn’t be as good as his predecessor, or sticking with what you have and going with cheaper options? Answer is pretty clear to me.
Look, Pogba is a world-class talent, and in the right team with the right players around him he can thrive, just like he did at Juventus. But he wouldn’t have done it at Barça, and they’re certainly better off for it.