According to a report from the Daily Star, Manchester United manager, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has told the club hierarchy to offload star midfielder Paul Pogba so he can reinvest the funds in improving the squad.
Pogba, 26, has refused to commit his future at Old Trafford in recent weeks and admitted last weekend he was contemplating a ‘new challenge’, amidst interest from Juventus and Real Madrid. Manchester United have maintained their stance of not selling the World Cup winner this summer but the Daily Star claim Solskjaer is ready to sanction a move.
The Red Devils have only given the Norwegian manager a summer transfer kitty of £100million to spend after failing to qualify for the Champions League, the report adds. They hope to make Aaron Wan-Bissaka their second signing of the summer following the arrival of Daniel James from Swansea City. But Solskjaer knows he needs many more players to complete his squad for next season and is ready to sacrifice Pogba to bolster the funds available to him.
Pogba, who is valued around £140m by United, is keen to leave Old Trafford this summer and challenge for major honours elsewhere. So, Solskjaer will be keen to sign a midfielder to replace the Frenchman. In fact, the 46-year-old tactician would need at least a couple of midfielders having lost Ander Herrera and Marouane Fellaini since joining the club in December.
Back in January 2018, the Independent claimed United were interested in signing Borussia Dortmund midfielder Julian Weigl. However, a move didn’t materialise then and Weigl stayed at Dortmund.
The German midfielder’s form has taken a slight dip in recent times, resulting in him falling down the pecking order last season under Lucien Favre. He managed only 25 appearances across all competitions, predominantly playing in central defence. Even if Weigl has struggled in the last 18 months or so, United must rekindle their interest in the 23-year-old this summer.
Once regarded as one of the finest midfield talents in the world, Weigl could be the perfect replacement for Nemanja Matic, who has looked somewhat past his best for the Reds. The Germany international is also an exceptional passer of the football and is very comfortable in possession, whilst excelling when breaking up opposition’s play. He has plenty of energy and always looks to pass forward, making him a perfect fit for Solskjaer’s style of play at United.
To Read More Manchester United News, Click Here:- Latest Manchester United News
Weigl is vastly experienced, regardless of his tender years, and he would bring real quality competition to the central midfield department at Old Trafford. The 23-year-old should be the perfect player to partner Scott McTominay in central midfield next term, with Fred and Andreas Pereira having done very little to warrant a starting berth.
At the age of 23, Weigl is still young and in the developmental phase of his career. His form has been patchy in the last couple of seasons at Dortmund, but that should not deter United in splashing the cash to sign him ahead of the 2019/20 campaign.