Possible destinations of Paul Pogba for 2015/16

Paul Pogba. These have been the first two words team directors of any of Europe’s footballing superpowers have uttered when asked about their transfer plans for 2015/16. The dynamic French midfielder is the hottest commodity of football at the moment. Clubs are lining up at his doorstep with ever-improving offers each passing day and it only seems a matter of time before his club Juventus get an offer worth listening to.The possibilities are exciting but they are accompanied by doubts. Which club would benefit the most from Pogba? Which destination could elevate Pogba to the level everyone assumes he will reach? Is this another example of clubs trying to steal transfer targets of rivals, concentrating more on them and less on themselves? And lastly, what would be the most prudent decision for Juve amid all this chaos? Here are the possible destinations for the Frenchman this summer. 

#1 Real Madrid

Much as Los Merengues would like to replace Iker Casillas, they cannot afford to spend another season with the unbalanced midfield of Kroos, Isco and James Rodriguez. The energy and drive of Modric was sorely missed when the Croatian was out injured and Pogba would be the ideal replacement in such a scenario. 

The performances of the Frenchman in Serie A and Europe have garnered considerable attention. That, too, makes him a suitable signing for Florentino Perez, who looks at a player’s crowd-pulling and shirt-selling ability as much as his footballing skills.

The move, however, could turn out to be potentially problematic. For starters, even for a player of the calibre and potential of Pogba, it is far from easy to break into the starting eleven of Real Madrid. The lack of playing time could turn out to be frustrating for a 22-year old midfielder wanting to develop.

If and when he does start, he will have to contend with the limelight of Santiago Bernabeu - a smouldering cauldron of pressure, where the fans are more demanding, more impatient than anywhere else and the pressure to perform is immense. 

The pitch of Real in recent years has been smattered with the carcasses of several promising players, even Ballon d’Or winners such as Kaka, who thought the big time had arrived, but instead nose-dived into mediocrity.

Pogba will have to ensure he does not become just another failed player in the all-white jersey, because the only way from there is down.