Paul Pogba Manchester United 2018-19

Pogba will be pushing for a move to Real Madrid, says ex-Man Utd winger

Paul Pogba will aim to force a move to Real Madrid and is not suited to the Premier League, says former Manchester United star Andrei Kanchelskis.

The midfielder has had a very public argument with United manager Jose Mourinho which saw him stripped of the vice-captaincy after he criticised the Portuguese's tactics.

Pogba moved back to United for a club record fee of £89.3 million ($112.9m) in 2016 but, although he started his career with the Red Devils, he has struggled to perform in England.

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The midfielder's fluctuating form has led him to be linked with a move back to Juventus, and Kanchelskis believes Pogba will look for a move to Spain.

Speaking to Bwin, the former winger said: "I think Paul Pogba will be seeking a move to Real Madrid this summer. I don’t think his style of play is suited for the Premier League, and we will see his brilliance in the Italian or Spanish league. He may not suit the Barcelona style of play, but he’s perfect for Real Madrid. He’ll be able to express himself more freely on the field for them.

"Pogba has failed to show consistency with his performances since joining United and it’s time for a change. If Pogba wants to go down as a great, he needs to find a team that suits his play. Maradona never found his feet properly at Barcelona but turned in to a world beater at Napoli and I think this could be the same for Pogba."

Andrei Kanchelskis- United vs City

Mourinho was unhappy with his club's failure to sign a centre-back in the summer as United failed with attempts to sign a number of defenders such as Harry Maguire and Jerome Boateng.

The Red Devils did sign Fred, Diogo Dalot and Lee Camp, but Kanchelskis said it has been hard to form an opinion on the performances of those new additions. 

"It’s hard to judge players like Fred with the current situation at United," the former Russia international continued. "The players that have been brought in are surrounded by negativity, which means they’re under the microscope every game and don’t have much time to settle in."

Brazilian star Fred arrived on a five-year deal from Shakhtar Donetsk for a fee potentially worth £61.2 million ($77.3m) but has so far been unable to hold down a regular spot in the starting XI.

He is one of a number of established players signed since the departure of Alex Ferguson, but Kanchelskis would like to see the Reds bring in footballers who are more hungry to play for the club.

"Man Utd have bought Lukaku for £90 million, but have failed to buy players that will get the best out of him," he continued. "Man Utd need to bring one or two top wingers into the club who will work the opposition’s full-backs and get balls into the box for Lukaku to attack.

"Man Utd need to stop focusing on bringing in a big name and start signing players that want to play for the club. This is a massive few months and they can’t go rushing into a signing that doesn’t pay off."

The Red Devils face top of the table Liverpool on Sunday in a crucial game as they aim to regain a place in the Premier League's top four.

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