Manchester United want €50 million star to replace Pogba

Manchester United want the €50 million-rated midfielder to replace Paul Pogba, if or when the Frenchman ends up leaving Old Trafford.

Paul Pogba’s substitution saw Manchester United make an instant change in the formation, switching from 5-3-2 to 4-4-2 (diamond) in Paris last Tuesday. Not only did the Frenchman, wearing that zebra-inspired kit, orchestrate the midfield and the flow of the game after coming off the bench in the 67th minute of the match, but he also provided the assist for the goal that secured a well-deserved victory for the Red Devils

The match came to end, and the final blow of the whistle saw a jolly Pogba spreading his aura with a broad grin on his face. He seemed relatively happy that night.

Manchester United, as the report claims, have recently triggered Pogba’s one-year renewal option in his contract, extending the World Cup winner’s stay at Old Trafford for a further year. Now, his current contract at the ‘Theatre of Dreams’ will not run out before June 2022.

Yet, there is no official announcement regarding this matter. If true, this would be a massive boost for Manchester United, bearing the fact in mind that he would have been free to leave in the upcoming summer had the club not triggered the optional renewal.

Manchester United are reportedly interested to keep him at the club for a longer-term. However, talks over a long-term extension haven’t started yet. And we shouldn’t ignore either that Pogba, while on his latest national duties with France squad, revealed his desire to play for Real Madrid one day. So there always remains a chance of him moving away from Old Trafford/

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And should United fail in their attempt to tie him up to a long-term extension, the club would surely be looking to sell him for a reasonable price in the upcoming summer. But then, who would be the replacement for Pogba?

According to a report from Calciomercato, the current AC Milan midfielder in Ismaël Bennacer has a release clause of €50 million, which be activated next summer. And a host of teams, including Manchester United, are in the hunt to secure the services of the Algerian international.

A defensive midfielder by trade, Bennacer joined AC Milan from Serie A side Empoli in 2019. And since then, he has had become an integral part of the Italian side, having started for 42 times across all competitions for the Rossoneri.

If Manchester United could pocket decent money from the sale of Paul Pogba next summer, they would ultimately be able to trigger Bennacer’s €50m release clause with ease. But the club aren’t running alone in the race, with Manchester City remaining their biggest threat to their plans.