Why Xavi has given Real Madrid and Juve a boost in Pogba chase

Robin Bairner

• 24 Nov 2021 06:04 CST
• 3 min read

The issue of Paul Pogba’s future does not go away for either Manchester United or the player.

Out of contract in the summer, Pogba faces a difficult challenge to persuade the Old Trafford side that he still represents value for money.

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The World Cup winner could be laid up due to injury for as much as 12 weeks, not only missing a valuable opportunity to impose himself on a team that is in a transition period, but also adding fuel to claims that he spends too much time injured.

Despite these issues, Pogba remains linked with a host of big clubs, including Real Madrid, Barcelona and Juventus.

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According to El Chiringuito, though, new Barca head coach Xavi has absolutely no intention of welcoming Pogba to Camp Nou.

Barcelona president Joan Laporta was reportedly willing to sign Pogba for the club to be a superstar figure in the heart of their midfield.

Xavi, though, was quick to put the brakes on these thoughts. Arriving with the idea of playing with a technical philosophy based around the whole team, the Barca legend does not believe that Pogba is capable of fitting into his plans.

Where does this leave Pogba?

For Pogba, this clearly reduces his options in the summer market.

Juventus remain hungry to re-sign the player. A 4-0 Champions League loss to Chelsea on Tuesday only served to highlight just how lacking in quality they are compared to Europe’s best sides.

Nevertheless, it is Real Madrid who remain the favourites to land Pogba. They are in a better position to handle his contract demands, although with Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland high up on their shortlist for the summer, they could be forced to make sales in order to fit all three players into their squad.

There remains a chance that Pogba could remain at Manchester United, of course, with the Red Devils’ choice of manager likely to have a critical say in where he plays his football next term.