With just two days to go until the transfer deadline for English clubs, Man Utd could reportedly be involved in a major deal involving Barcelona.
It seems far from ideal that such an important change could occur at Old Trafford on the eve of the new Premier League campaign, as the disruption could be costly for Jose Mourinho.
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Nevertheless, according to Mundo Deportivo, should Man Utd successfully secure a deal to sign €155m-rated Lazio midfield star Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, it could ultimately open the door for Paul Pogba to join Barcelona.
The priority for United in this situation will surely be to have a deal in place for their desired replacement first before entertaining the idea of allowing Pogba to leave, as they can ill afford to lose their most talented midfielder with no quality signing coming in to fill the void.
However, it’s questionable as to whether the deal makes sense for the Red Devils at all, as having finished 19 points adrift of Man City last season in a campaign in which they failed to win any silverware, they arguably should be looking to strengthen the squad and not merely replace outgoing key individuals.
There’s no denying that Milinkovic-Savic is a quality player, as he proved last season with 14 goals and nine assists in 48 appearances in all competitions.
The 23-year-old has the physicality, agility and technical quality needed to potentially flourish in the Premier League, and so he would certainly soften the blow of losing Pogba if the Frenchman was to leave.
Given that he has now settled back into life at Old Trafford and is a cornerstone of the current side though, United would perhaps be well advised to prioritise keeping the World Cup winner at the club rather than making a high-profile change in the heart of the line-up so late in the window.