Reports surrounding a potential Newcastle United move for Paul Pogba could provide two significant boosts to both PIF and Bruno Guimarães.
According to a report in The Sun, Newcastle are one of a number of teams who could try to sign the 29-year-old Frenchman if he leaves on a free transfer in the summer.
The Frenchman is currently into the final few months of his deal at Old Trafford, and based on comments given in a recent interview with French outlet Le Figaro (via The Daily Mail), he doesn’t sound too happy about his time at Manchester United, which might indicate his desire to see out his contract before moving on.
And should Newcastle make a move for him, it could benefit the club’s owners as well as one of their newest recruits in the form of Bruno:
A money-saving exercise for PIF?
Whilst it’s no secret that Newcastle’s owners aren’t exactly strapped for cash, that hasn’t stopped them from reportedly being rather tight when it comes to throwing money around in the transfer market, with a report from The Telegraph claiming they are going to be limited to just £90m in spending during the upcoming transfer window.
If they can bring in Pogba on a free transfer, even when you factor in his potentially high wages into account, that will free up funds for other areas of the pitch.
Newcastle have made a good start to improving their side with some of their transfers in the winter window, but another decent spending spree could be what they need to take the club to the next level and make sure they take the next step forward as a club.
And any saving like this could be critical when it comes to making sure the funds are spread out to the areas that they’re most needed in order to make a deal happen.
A midfield partner to take the edge off for Bruno?
Whilst Pogba’s numbers at Manchester United aren’t the greatest, with just 39 goals since re-joining the club in 2016, his numbers for both Juventus and France show what a dangerous player he can be on his day, and that could free up some opportunities for Bruno if the two play as a pair in midfield.
With players focused on Pogba and what he can do in terms of production, that could give Bruno the space he needs to be the creative, box-to-box midfielder that he became known for and what made Newcastle pay attention to him in the first place.
In turn, if teams then focus their attention on stopping Bruno, Pogba may be able to flourish as a result, so they could create quite a duo in the heart of the Newcastle midfield if they pull this off.
TIF Verdict…
Do you want to see Paul Pogba at Newcastle?
Yes
No
The one concern when it comes to bringing in Pogba, who is valued at £49.5m on Transfermarkt, will be his questionable attitude, but perhaps a new environment as part of a club that is on the up and one that can provide him a place where he can be the star man once again rather than falling behind the likes of Bruno Fernandes might be what he needs to get his career back on track.
And without paying a fee for him, the financial risk associated with signing him is instantly taken away, so if Newcastle believe they can control his attitude problems, it might well be worth making a move for him in the summer as they look to take the next step as a club.
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