Could Goretzka be the ideal replacement for Pogba at Man Utd?
Stefan Bienkowski
- Updated: 31 Jul 2021 12:15 BST
- 5 min read
Manchester United may have already made some impressive signings in the summer transfer window but they’ll have to work hard to ensure one of their top stars doesn’t depart in the coming months.
Following an impressive Euro 2020 campaign with France, Paul Pogba remains one of the most sought after players in Europe and, to the intrigue of a number of clubs, could force a move this summer.
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The towering midfielder has just one year left on his contract at Old Trafford, which means Man Utd will either have to convince him to sign a new deal shortly or risk losing him for free next summer.
As such, the Premier League giants have already begun putting together a shortlist and one player apparently already sits top of that list.
According to ESPN, the Premier League giants have sounded out Bayern Munich midfielder Leon Goretzka as a potential replacement to Pogba ahead of the new season.
Like Pogba, Goretzka (currently valued at €66 million) is also about to enter the final year of his contract and could be an ideal signing if Pogba does move on.
But is the Bayern midfielder an ideal fit for the role Pogba has been playing at Old Trafford for the last few seasons?
Is Goretzka a suitable replacement for Pogba?
While there’s no doubt that Pogba and Goretzka not only play in the same position but also share a similar stature, each player is slightly different in what he offers his respective club.
For example, while Pogba tends to sit deep in Man Utd’s midfield, he usually plays the role of a deep-lying playmaker. That was his primary role for the club last season and the season before that.
Goretzka, on the other hand, is slightly different. In this season’s Bundesliga he was certainly far more of a box-to-box midfielder or a holding midfielder that could pop up in either box with important aerial challenges, tackles and goals.
Having said that, both players to tend to record similar goals and assists per season so if Goretzka were to step into Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s team in place of Pogba he may end up providing a similar service in terms of creating and scoring goals for the team.
