"I have great doubts" - Beniamino Vignola unconvinced by Juventus' move for Manchester United and PSG stars
Former Juventus man Beniamino Vignola has expressed concerns over two potential Juve signings: Manchester United’s Paul Pogba and Paris Saint-Germain’s (PSG) Angel Di Maria. Vignola claimed that his worry was not about their “value” but about their “characteristics.”
With his contract with Manchester United running out in the summer, Paul Pogba has been linked with a possible return to Juventus (via Transfer News Live). The Frenchman arguably played his best football in Turin between 2012 and 2016, scoring 34 goals and providing 40 assists in 178 appearances across competitions.
Angel Di Maria, who has spent the last seven years at PSG, is another big name being linked with a Juventus move (via Fabrizio Romano). The Argentine, who will be out of contract at the end of June, has recorded 93 goals and 119 assists in 295 games for PSG.
#Juventus
Ángel Di Maria leaves Paris Saint-Germain and he’s in well advanced talks with Juventus. Allegri: “I see lot of names, it’s normal - we’re gonna meet next week to discuss about transfers”. 🇦🇷 #Juventus
“Paul Pogba’s return? Next week we will work on our transfers plan”. https://t.co/gtG9FhYcRX
Both players have enviable resumes and immense technical quality, but Vignola does not think they are the right players for Juve to sign this summer. Speaking to TuttoJuve, the Italian said:
“I have great doubts about these two players, not about the value but about their characteristics. With the recovery of Chiesa, there is Cuadrado, there are good midfielders like Locatelli, McKennie and Rabiot, so I would see them a bit as gods. In my opinion, more than Pogba, which is a heated soup, we need the figure of a point guard capable of organizing the game in a midfield that has been missing in recent years.”
Juventus finished fourth in Serie A in the 2021-22 season, 16 points behind winners AC Milan. With reinforcements, they should be in a better position to give the Milan clubs a run for their money next season.
Manchester United and PSG set sight on Barcelona duo to cover summer departures
Paul Pogba has undeniably lacked consistency at Manchester United, but his quality has never been in doubt. With the Frenchman inching closer to a move to Juve, the Red Devils need to bring in someone who can effortlessly fill in for him.
As per Mike Verweij (via AFC Ajax), Manchester United have made Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong their top priority for the summer. Erik ten Hag managed De Jong during their time together at Ajax and could have a big say in convincing the player to move to England.
#MUFC are now extremely confident that Frenkie De Jong will be a @ManUtd player next season. 🥶
🇳🇱 #MUFC are now extremely confident that Frenkie De Jong will be a @ManUtd player next season. 🥶
⁃ Sources close to the player say that Frenkie is a “big admirer” of the Red Devils & would relish the chance to play in the premier league. 🏴🏆 https://t.co/Z4V6LGqSdA
PSG, on the other hand, are reportedly (via Managing Barca) leading the race to sign would-be free agent Ousmane Dembele. The Frenchman finished the season strongly with Barcelona, emerging as the top assist provider (13) in the division. Dembele, who also has a good relationship with compatriot Kylian Mbappe, would be a like-for-like replacement for the departing Angel Di Maria.