After Paul Pogba dropped a major hint that he’s ready to leave Man Utd, the Red Devils have reportedly begun to plan how to replace him.
As noted by The Guardian, the 26-year-old suggested during an interview in Tokyo over the weekend that he could be ready for a new challenge.
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Naturally, that sparked plenty of exit speculation, with Real Madrid and Juventus specifically mentioned in that report as potential landing spots for the Frenchman this summer.
Having already seen Ander Herrera confirm his exit from Old Trafford with his contract set to expire at the end of the month, Man Utd will have a real headache on their hands if Pogba departs too as that will leave them struggling in midfield.
Nemanja Matic, Fred and Scott McTominay would be the only real options at Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s disposal, and so should an exit materialise for Pogba, the Red Devils will have to move swiftly to fill those voids and give the Norwegian tactician enough quality and depth to compete on multiple fronts next season.
According to Mundo Deportivo, they could be planning to do just that as it’s suggested that United are targeting Philippe Coutinho and Ivan Rakitic from Barcelona to help them address their midfield issues.
Both have been heavily linked with an exit from the Nou Camp for some time, but it’s one thing speculation suggesting it and another entirely for it to actually happen.
In turn, it remains to be seen if the pieces fall into place, with Pogba’s exit the first move to spark potential transfer business between the two European giants.
However, with ESPN adding that Man Utd’s stance is to not sell the World Cup winner, they are seemingly ready to dig in and will avoid having to spend the summer trying to replace one of their best players rather than building around him.
