Juventus’ Paul Pogba has earned lavish praise from Patrick Vieira.
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Former Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba could one day find himself in the blue half of the city, with Patrick Vieira admitting he is a big fan of the Juventus man.
According to talkSPORT, Vieira, who is football development executive at Manchester City, told French radio station RMC that he has rated Pogba very highly for a long time.
The midfielder has really caught the eye in Serie A this season, after moving to the Turin club on a free transfer from Manchester United in the summer. With hindsight, it’s surprising that the 20-year-old never managed to force his way into Sir Alex Ferguson’s first team plans.
Real Madrid are also interested in Pogba, but it would be a real blow to Ferguson to see his former youngster lining up for City after never giving him the chance to shine for United. And Vieira’s words on the player suggest that he would definitely fully back City if they were to pursue his signing.
“I first saw him play as a teenager in a game against Portugal,” Vieira said.
“It didn’t take long to understand that he was destined to become a good player, then I saw him for Juve and knew that he was a very strong one.”
Pogba is a tall and skillful central midfielder in the Vieira mould, but the former Arsenal captain believes the youngster is already better than he was at that age.
“I believe that he is a better player than I was at his age. He has a great shot on him and a good physique for someone who has only just turned 20.
“Only time will tell, but I think he has a great opportunity to have an excellent career.
“He will be the next great midfielder of the French national team. He will learn things very quickly.”
When the time eventually comes for City to replace Yaya Toure, Pogba certainly seems the ideal candidate to play that role in their midfield.