Why Paul Pogba Should Be Manchester United's No. 1 Summer Transfer Target

To borrow a phrase from American sports, Paul Pogba has the potential to be a franchise player for Jose Mourinho and Manchester United. While central midfield might not be United's most egregious problem position—that honour is reserved for the centre of defence—Pogba's age and footballing attributes make him just about the perfect signing.

As covered on Friday, this summer should be about bringing in promising young talent and established top-level talent. Pogba is in the near-unique position of being both. While he has so far struggled to make a definitive impact on Euro 2016 with France, he has been a hugely important part of a highly successful Juventus squad since his move to Turin, Italy, in 2012. 

Of course, in the quest to sign some of the game's best players, United's predicament means there is a tier of player out of reach. Their non-participation in this year's Champions League and the fact they have not finished higher than fourth in the league since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013 is a big knock against them.

It seems reasonable to assume that any player playing for, say, Real Madrid, Barcelona or Bayern Munich who is wanted by the club and happy with their role will be hard to extract. Thus, trying to sign players such as Thomas Muller, Neymar and Lionel Messi would be fanciful.

A move for the 23-year-old Pogba perhaps strays close to this territory. James Walters of the Daily Star reported that "the Juventus talisman prefers a move to La Liga should he leave the Italian giants." However, on 9 June, Jeremy Cross of the same paper wrote that Pogba is "Mourinho's main midfield target."

Samuel Luckhurst of Manchester Evening News recently wrote, "Mourinho has earmarked Pogba...as the 'captain' midfielder to strengthen the team’s spine." 

He added: "With competition for Pogba expected to be intense, United are believed to have asked Mourinho’s representative, Jorge Mendes, to mediate as they negotiate with the France international's agent Mino Raiola."

The Mourinho factor is key when considering United's predicament.

Perhaps between the promise of working with one of the world's most successful managers and the likelihood of Patrice Evra whispering sweet nothings about how great United are into his ear, Pogba could be convinced that a return to Old Trafford is the best move for his career.

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And United should be moving heaven and earth to make it happen—in Pogba, they would be signing a player likely to produce at an elite level for the best part of the next decade.

He is not a flawless talent. There are still games in which he goes missing, as he did in France's Euro 2016 opener against Romania. Indeed, the French public remain unconvinced about his contribution to their cause. As Matthew Stanger wrote for Football 365: 

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The biggest issue facing Pogba is that in France he has become a victim of his own success. A four-times Serie A champion and double Double winner in the past two seasons with Juventus, French supporters are not surprised by talk of a €100m transfer to the Premier League or La Liga. It is widely acknowledged he is an immense talent, but Pogba’s form for the national team is the primary concern. And there is a growing sense of frustration at his failure to reach the level of performance he has delivered so consistently for Juventus.

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It is notable that concern around Pogba's role for the national side is focused on his form and not his quality or potential. Neither of those is in any doubt. Consider what some of the legends of his club and country have said about him.

In June 2015, Zinedine Zidane told RTL (h/t ESPN FC): "I think he's fantastic. What I like about him is that he has everything. He's a complete player, who is also capable of scoring goals, because he gets forward a lot. In terms of his football qualities, he is extraordinary." 

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Also in June 2015, Thierry Henry told Goal: "He is a special player and that’s why every team wants him...For people to talk about him the way they talk about him right now, it’s because he has something that young players his age don’t have right now."

When Pogba was given the No. 10 shirt at Juventus last summer, one of its most famous incumbents, Alessandro Del Piero, told La Gazzetta dello Sport (h/t Goal): 

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If we think the No.10 should be given to a player that impresses with his style of play then he is the right man. The number is more than just an expression of ability, it is more important than just that.

However, Pogba will reach that level.

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Last season, he scored eight goals and provided 12 assists for Juventus in the league. He made an average of 2.2 successful tackles per 90 minutes of league football. In the Old Lady's squad, only Mario Lemina averaged more—2.3—and that was from an average of 0.8 more attempts per 90. 

Pogba took more shots than anyone else in the squad, making 3.5 attempts per 90 in Serie A. Of those, an average of 1.1 were on target. No one in a United shirt matched that rate.

He made an average of 1.6 key passes per 90 minutes of league football last season, the same as he managed the season before. That is the same average as Wayne Rooney and Juan Mata in 2015/16, but neither came close to matching his defensive contribution. 

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United are well-stocked for midfielders in terms of numbers, and there is talent in that pool of players, but not one of them, barring an ageing, injury-hit Bastian Schweinsteiger, would be considered among the contemporary greats in that position. Pogba is already one of those, and there is likely more to come from him.

The other contender for No. 1 summer transfer target would be a truly elite central defender, but it is not clear which player Mourinho has in mind in that spot. Given that uncertainty, and the reports Pogba is a clear target, it makes sense to award the Juventus man the top spot.

A franchise player is a complex designation in the NFL, but in a colloquial sense, it means the player around whom the team is built. As Vince Thomas wrote for NBA.com in 2009: 

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In the NBA, the term Franchise Player is not the cold, salary-cap, collective bargaining agreement-related designation that it is in the NFL. It's an abstract phrase and, because it isn't something mathematical or scientific, it gets thrown around haphazardly and doled out too generously.

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If United were to sign Pogba, they could build their next great team around him. There would thus be nothing overly generous were "franchise player" used to describe him.

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Suddenly, United's spine would, without doubt, contain another world-class component.

Pogba would not automatically make the Red Devils a great team again—no single player can do that. He would represent an enormous and highly significant piece of the puzzle. He should, without doubt, be the No. 1 target.

All advanced statistics per WhoScored.com.