Man United are set to lose the services of midfielder Paul Pogba this summer.
The Frenchman is out of contract later this month, with it being confirmed that he will now bring to an end his six-year spell at Old Trafford. It remains to be seen where Pogba will be playing his football next term - Juventus having been linked with a return for their former player.
Meanwhile, Erik ten Hag will likely desire a replacement this summer, with the Red Devils’ midfield options now having dwindled considerably following the exits of Pogba, Nemanja Matic and Juan Mata. That opportunity might potentially have passed the Premier League giants though.
With that being said, Mirror Sport takes a look at the potential Pogba successors that the Red Devils might have already missed out on.
Jude Bellingham
Man United have regularly been linked with the Borussia Dortmund sensation, even stretching back to his time with boyhood club Birmingham City. The Englishman has emerged as a star performer for both the German giants and the Three Lions in his time at the Signal Iduna Park.
Having already been beaten to Bellingham’s signature in the past, history could well be set to repeat itself. According to recent reports from German outlet SportBild, Real Madrid are set to make a move for the 18-year-old next summer, in what is sure to be a considerable blow to Man United.
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Leon Goretzka
Sticking in Germany but this time moving over to Bavaria, United have regularly been linked with a swoop for Bayern Munich ’s Leon Goretzka. Since arriving from Schalke 04 in 2018, the now 27-year-old has gone on to become a key player for the current Bundesliga champions.
Capable of dropping back into a defensive position, he is equally adept at playing slightly further forwards - his goalscoring record verifying that. It was suggested that the Red Devils were interested in signing the 41-time German international last summer, only to see him commit his future to Bayern by signing a new five-year deal.
Of course, that might not totally rule out the possibility of a switch but there appears to be other options that would now be considered ahead of Goretzka as United attempt to bolster their midfield options.
Thiago Alcantara
Whilst the Red Devils had their eyes on a couple of Bundesliga stars, they were also previously interested in former Bayern Munich man Thiago Alcantara ahead of his move to Liverpool. According to ex-Man Utd defender Rio Ferdinand, the Spaniard ‘wanted’ to move to Old Trafford after departing the Allianz Arena.
Of course, he ended up making a switch to England but became a Liverpool player instead and it now seems highly unlikely that he would become a Man Utd player considering his commitments to the Reds.
Rodri
Having missed out on one of their former targets to fierce rivals Liverpool, Man City also dealt Man United a major blow with their 2020 capture of Atletico Madrid midfielder Rodri. It was reported that the two Manchester clubs went head-to-head for his signature.
Of course, Pep Guardiola secured his services and the Spanish midfielder has gone on to become a key player at the Etihad Stadium. Whilst his displays from a defensive viewpoint have been praised, his goal-scoring ability - particularly from range - has been very useful for the recently-crowned Premier League champions.
Eduardo Camavinga
With Frenchman Pogba set to leave Old Trafford, one of his compatriots Eduardo Camavinga would no doubt have been an excellent successor. The young midfielder caught the eye with Rennes and was expected to be at the heart of an intense transfer battle.
Spanish giants Real Madrid won the race for his signature and Camavinga has gone from strength-to-strength at the Santiago Bernabeu. He has enjoyed an excellent first season in Spain having played a key role in Los Blancos’ 14th European success against Liverpool.
