Just when it seemed that Manchester United’s drama-filled start to the season was finally settling, Paul Pogba seems to have to stoked the troubled fires again. Speaking in an interview before France’s UEFA Nations League tie against The Netherlands, Pogba seemed to have left the door open for a possible move to FC Barcelona either in January or next season. This has not gone down well with Manchester United fans who have been swayed by Jose Mourinho’s clever manipulations and are now turning against the Portuguese manager’s perceived enemies; Ed Woodward, Pogba and others.
Frenkie De Jong (Ajax)
One youngster whose stock has risen rapidly in recent months, the world is very much at his feet. The 21-year-old has in a very short time become integral for Ajax and may excel just as well for United. Operating as a regista(deep-lying playmaker), De Jong is the builder-from-the-back, a highly revered position in Dutch football.
He has the intelligence to know when to carry the ball forward to evade the pressing of the opposition. He is also aware enough to know when to pass conservatively to slow down the tempo to help teammates recover or pass forward to start attacks/counter attacks.
Ruben Neves (Wolverhampton Wanderers)
An exceptional young deep-lying playmaker, the 21-year-old is already being raved about in the Premier League.
He has been described as been more mature than players of his age are usually and this is seen in his style of play. A midfielder who defends like a matured centre-back would: with intelligence and an excellent reading of the game; he possesses a bouquet of skills similar to that of the best players in his position.
Sergej Milinkovic-Savic (SS Lazio)
Simply put, the giant young Serbian is good at all the things Pogba is good/supposed to be good at. A very mobile presence in the centre of the midfield, Milinkovic-Savic is a very confident player who would have little issues in replacing the Frenchman were the rumoured move to Barcelona ever to become a reality. Fast, strong and skilful, he has a passing range that is equally as good as that of the man he is likely to replace at Old Trafford. Like Pogba, he is more than capable of carrying the ball forward and acting as a playmaker of sorts. His assists stats are actually better than that of Pogba over the last couple of seasons (since the Frenchman joined Manchester United).