When Manchester United spent a world-record £89m pounds to bring Paul Pogba home, their fans had every right to be excited.
The Frenchman, who left United for just £800,000 in 2012, was a driving force in a Juventus side that won four consecutive Scudetti and reached the Champions League final in 2015.
However, Pogba hasn’t quite lived up to the price tag for his new club so far. Pogba has underwhelmed in a United shirt, particularly in last weekend’s Manchester derby, with pundits like Jamie Carragher criticizing his lack positioning and lack of discipline.
The slow start may not just be down to the midfielder though. A number of people have picked up on the fact that at Juventus, Pogba often had a sitting midfielder like Pirlo behind him along with a ball-winner like Marchisio or Khedira, allowing the Frenchman to roam forward and use his athleticism and powerful strike.
With that in mind, let’s look at five men who United should sign to partner Pogba…
TONI KROOS
When considering players who can knock the ball around, there are few better than Toni Kroos.
Paul Scholes, a man who knows a thing or two about controlling the United midfield, recently said United need a player like Real Madrid’s Kroos or Luka Modric to partner the Frenchman.
While Modric would be a perfect fit having played in the league before, the German World Cup winner would probably be the cheaper option with a bid of around £30m likely to test Madrid’s resolve.
His price, coupled with the fact he is five years younger than the Croatian (Kroos is only 26) makes him the better choice to partner Pogba for years to come.
RUBEN NEVES
Having been a regular for Porto since he was 17, Ruben Neves has attracted a lot of interest from the top clubs over the past couple of years.
Primarily a holding midfielder but with an eye for a pass, the Portuguese would be excel in keeping United ticking while Pogba hunted for a goal.
Still at only 19, Mourinho may have concerns about trusting such a young player in an integral role. As Porto captain, however, Neves clearly has the mentality to succeed.
STEVEN N’ZONZI
While not a glamorous name, Steven N’Zonzi would provide the energy and steel in the middle of the park to allow Pogba to be more creative.
Despite struggling to adapt to Sevilla’s system in the first half of the season, N’Zonzi eventually became an integral part of their Europa League-winning campaign.
N’Zonzi would also have no trouble handling the pace and physicality of the Premier League after spells at Blackburn and Stoke, and has a buyout clause of only £21.5m.
MARCO VERRATTI
Arguably the man who would most suit a role next to Pogba, Verratti wouldn’t come cheap.
But with United clearly not averse to forking out, the Paris Saint-Germain and Italy midfielder would be well worth the money.
Likened to Pirlo for his passing range, Verratti is a lot more mobile and willing to hound opponents to get the ball back for his side.
Verratti also strikes you as a player in the Mourinho mould; able to anchor the midfield like Claude Makelele did for him at Chelsea, but also able to pick a pass like Thiago Motta and Xabi Alonso for his successful Inter and Real Madrid sides.
CESC FABREGAS
The final man on our list, Cesc Fabregas may well be the surprise answer to United’s predicament.
The Spaniard has been on the fringes for Chelsea so far this season, with rumours the Blues may be willing to allow him to leave the club.
While not a defensive player, Fabregas is one of the few players who would be able to emulate the Pirlo role with his superb passing and vision.
It would certainly require a tactical shift, with another ball-winning midfielder necessary to accommodate Fabregas and Pogba.
But if Fabregas was able to replicate his first season under Mourinho at Chelsea, where he managed 18 assists, United would be onto a winner.