Barcelona are looking to upgrade their team this summer as they aim to solve their Champions League issues.
It may seem a bit of a strange rumour because Pogba is a key player at Manchester United and Philippe Coutinho is seen as Iniesta’s successor. However, Don Balon is reporting that Ernesto Valverde sees the French midfielder as the player they need to fill the gap left by the Barcelona legend.
Pogba has been linked with the club previously because they had first option to sign him ahead of Manchester United. However, Andre Gomes was chosen as the midfield upgrade instead, which turned out to be a poor decision The Portuguese midfielder never settled at Barca with confidence issues affecting his performances, and he is likely to be sold this summer.
The 25-year-old’s time at Juventus was hugely successful and is what earned his move to the Red Devils in the first place. He has struggled to match that at Manchester United because he has been heavily reliant on a three-man midfield to get the best out of him. It doesn’t help that he has Jose Mourinho as his manager.
His time with the club has been filled with periods of promise, but a lack of consistency overall. Although his statistics were good last season because he scored six goals and assisted 10 in 2151 league minutes from central midfield.
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Coutinho was brought in to act as Iniesta’s replacement during the January transfer window. Spending £142 million was seen as a huge statement on the Brazilian was seen a huge statement of intent from the club. However, he been at his best in an attacking midfield role as part of the front three. A deeper role inhibits him because it reduces his influence in the final third and highlights his positional issues in the build-up stage. This is likely to be something he learns over time, but there might be other options more suited to the role.
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Would he be a good signing?
Replacing Iniesta would be tough for any player because of his brilliance and how much he suited Barcelona’s style. His La Masia roots only added to his greatness. The amount of trophies he won will inevitably be compared with his successor.
Pogba has shown his innovation in the final third with his vision and passing being two of his best attributes. Therefore, there is no issue in that regard. His problem is whether he would be able to adapt to Barcelona’s Juego de Posicion (positional play) style. Creating passing lanes through intelligent positioning is key in order to keep the team progressing. This ensures the team can patiently move up the pitch. However, his dribbling would be a useful asset in breaking opposition lines in a compact shape.
There is no doubting his talent, but he would represent a huge risk. There is no guarantee that he would suit the style. This move seems unfeasible unless there was a large transfer fee, which adds to the risk. Therefore, this is likely to be wild speculation rather than a targeted signing by the board.
Denis Suarez and Carles Alena are viable options to utilise in midfield. There is also Arthur who is set to join the club. Therefore, there are plenty of options for Barcelona to use next season who are more likely to fit the style even if they aren’t as well-known as Pogba.