Paul Pogba is looking to start something new, perhaps a new club to explore more possibilities for his talent. And this is why Zinedine Zidane is so sure Real Madrid will successfully sign up the Manchester United midfielder. Pogba wants out, and his team has no recourse but to let him go.
Zidane missed the chance of acquiring Pogba last summer, but it will be a different story in January. He is confident that United will feel the pressure of Pogba's strong desire to leave England for Spain. The Red Devils will sell eventually.
So the Frenchman acquiring his compatriot is a top priority for Real, Metro reported.
"Zidane sees Pogba as his priority signing ahead of the January transfer window and is confident Real Madrid will be able to strike a deal," the report said.
However, the Real boss has to secure confirmation that United indeed is willing to talk on a deal that will see Pogba leaving the Old Trafford for Bernabeu. Then, it's crucial likewise that Zidane determines how fit, in all aspects, Pogba will be.
Per the same report, it seemed the World Cup winner is far from 100%, and this was based on the observation offered by former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger. Wenger believes Pogba has yet to fully recover from his injury, and the struggle is evident on the physical and mental.
If this were the case, then Zidane should at least consider the deal that Real president Florentino Perez seemed to favor more. According to The Sun, Perez is looking to sign Christian Eriksen from Tottenham and the playmaker is possibly available at a lower cost for the Spanish club.
The same report said Eriksen will transfer to Real and the price to pay is no more than £30 million. The tag is quite cheap compared to Pogba's asking price that runs to £180 million.
In addition, the club president is convinced Eriksen is a more suitable player as Pogba might bring with him character issues. It noted in the report that the Frenchmen had fought with Jose Mourinho when the latter was still the United boss.
Pogba's attitude should give Zidane a clue on how things could turn out working with his fellow Frenchman. So he can also consider to merely focus on the emerging Fede Valverde, who has been quite impressive as Real's main midfielder in recent outings.
Zidane himself has expressed confidence that the 21-year-old Uruguayan is ready to step up, the Mirror reported.
"It's true that I'm happy for him. He's very good and he's always shown that. He's growing. He always moves forward and he wants the ball," the Real manager was reported as saying.
