Amid the talks of Paul Pogba leaving Manchester United for possible transfer to Serie A or La Liga, a former Real Madrid star called on the Spanish giants to keep a distance from the rumored signing of the Frenchman. Instead, club boss Zinedine Zidane will do better to focus on recruiting players that would be easier to handle.
According to Uli Stielike, while Pogba is brimming with talent on the pitch and likely fits the requirements set by Zidane, his presence will not necessarily be appreciated at Bernabeu. That being the case, the German urged his former club to look for alternatives.
For Stielike, Pogba represents a strong flesh that is lacking spirit, which likely explains the 27-year-old's struggle at Old Trafford. The midfielder was most unavailable in the season, no thanks to his lingering injury issues. But at the same time, Pogba is long linked to the rumors he wanted out of Manchester United and with Real and Madrid as his possible destination.
Such a rough history could spell trouble for Zidane's side even as the fact remains that Pogba's skill will be quite a boost for the Los Blancos. Still, Stielike said it's best for Real to consider other transfer targets.
"I am more in favor of humble players with great talent and sacrifice for the team," Goal reported the former German midfielder as saying, basing on the story published first by Spanish news outlet AS.
Stielike added the United star would be a better fit for Real if the club intends to bring back the era of the Galacticos, which saw the likes of Zidane, David Beckham, and Cristiano Ronaldo powering the Madrid club to global stardom and numerous title wins.
The Real hero likewise acknowledged that Bernabeu is in a semi-rebuild mode and still in search of talent to replace Ronaldo, who left the team in 2018 for Juventus. Stielike noted that indeed the Portuguese superstar was hard to replace and Real lost "a fundamental piece" when he exited from Spain.
Meanwhile, United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is beaming with confidence that Pogba will not be leaving for Spain and Germany. The Norwegian said Pogba's return from inactivity will lead to success for the player and consequently for the Red Devils.
"Good players can always play together ... I think it's exciting ... We do have an exciting squad," Mirror reported the manager as saying.
Solskjaer is referring to his dream of realizing a lethal attack force for United, in which Pogba will collaborate on the frontline with Bruno Fernandes and Scott McTominay. Pundits have characterized the midfield combo as United's solid bet to start winning games and titles again.
