Following confirmation that Paul Pogba would depart Manchester United in the summer, Erik ten Hag has already named his No. 1 target to replace him.
Pogba’s contract expires at the end of the season, and with talks over a new deal stalling, the 28-year-old is expected to leave Old Trafford on a free transfer, bringing an end to his difficult five-year stay.
Pogba walked off barely 10 minutes into his side’s defeat at Liverpool on Tuesday evening, effectively marking his farewell appearance for the club.
The injury is almost certain to finish his season early, and interim United manager Ralf Rangnick admitted on Friday that seeing the former Juventus star play for United again was difficult.
‘As it appears right now, he will not renew his contract, and I’m not sure if the club or Erik will want to do so. He’ll most likely not be back next season.’
“He’s a World Cup winner, and he’s so good that he was a regular starter for France. We all know what kind of player he can be and what kind of potential he has”, he remarked.
‘He was like a lot of other players who were battling to maintain their best performance on the pitch for a team like Man United.’
Incoming United manager Erik ten Hag, whose hiring was announced on Thursday, seems unconcerned with Pogba’s probable exit and, according to a foreign sports website, has already chosen his replacement in Frenkie de Jong.
The Netherlands international was the star of Ten Hag’s Ajax side that reached the Champions League semi-finals in 2019, but his £67 million move to Barcelona hasn’t gone as planned.
With youngsters Pedri and Gavi at the core of a new-look Barcelona side, the Catalan giants could hope to return a big portion of the money they spent on De Jong.
With Nemanja Matic, Juan Mata, and Jesse Lingard likely to leave, United’s midfield is in desperate need of a makeover.
Meanwhile, while Fred and Scott McTominay are unlikely to play in Ten Hag’s plans, Donny van de Beek, De Jong’s former Ajax teammate, is expected to be given a chance to relaunch his United career once his loan stay at Everton finishes at the end of the season.
