The news that FC Barcelona had made a players-plus-cash bid for Manchester United’s Paul Pogba has been one of the more surprising subplots in this summer’s transfer window. However, given that midfielders Arturo Vidal and Arthur Melo have already been signed, it seems strange that the Blaugrana would pursue such an obviously expensive move. Bearing in mind youth team products Carlos Alena, Sergi Samper, Denis Suarez and Sergio Busquets alongside Ivan Rakitic are already in Ernesto Valverde’s team, the pursuing of Pogba begins to make even less sense.
Barcelona would be better served targeting a younger and cheaper alternative to the French World Cup winner. Here are three options the board could look at instead:
1. Julian Weigl (Borussia Dortmund)
The brilliant young German is on this list for a reason; he has the skillset required to be almost as good as some of Barca’s most elevated central midfielders: the likes of Pep Guardiola and Xavi Hernandez
A very intelligent youngster, alongside Leroy Sane, his absence from the German World Cup team raised a few eyebrows. Able to be effective both offensively and defensively, Weigl looks tailor-made and more suited to manager Valverde’s style than Pogba.
A look at his displays for Borussia Dortmund shows that he is usually responsible for building attacks from the back. More often than not, it is he who is tasked with receiving the ball from the centre-backs and either retain possession or starting attacks.
In situations where the intention is to quickly counter, his quick thinking and long-range passes will be of great benefit to the Blaugrana’s pacy wingers or overlapping full-backs. His passes will help create chances by getting the ball to them quickly and bypassing the opposing midfield.
Also capable, if need be, of acting as the most defensive player in a midfield two/trio, his marking and defensive abilities are more than adequate and would be especially useful in the absence of Busquets.
It is difficult to determine just how much Barca will need to part with to get the young genius. However, given the recent arrivals of experienced internationals Axel Witsel and Thomas Delaney, it seems Dortmund might be willing to listen to offers for one of their most valuable assets.
2. Ruben Neves (Wolves)
An exceptional young deep-lying playmaker, the 21-year-old has the skills and profile to comfortably slot into the Barcelona midfield
He has been described as been more mature than players of his age are usually and this is seen in his style of play. A midfielder who defends like a matured centre-back would: with intelligence and an excellent reading of the game; he possesses a bouquet of skills similar to that of the best players in his position.
He has excellent long-range passing and the vision to by-pass opposition midfield with balls over the top. This would be of great benefit to Barcelona’s front line as it would allow the attackers to play further forward. Like Xavi used to do, he is very capable of dictating the tempo.
This defensive nous coupled with his brilliant passing and ability to dictate means he would be perfect for filling the regista-role at the Camp Nou instead of Pogba. Alongside Busquets, Arturo Vidal, Ivan Rakitic and Arthur Melo, his presence would make Barca’s midfield one of the strongest in Europe.
He was the standout player in the Championship last season. Given that he joined for £15.8m and his importance to the team, he could command a pretty high transfer fee.
3. Frenkie De Jong (Ajax Amsterdam)
One youngster who has been linked many times with a move to Catalunya, the young Dutchman is still very much an under-the-radar prospect.
A graduate of Willem II’s academy, the 21-year-old has in a very short time become integral for the fallen Dutch giants. Operating as a regista (deep-lying playmaker), De Jong is the builder-from-the-back, a highly revered position in Dutch football.
He has the intelligence to know when to carry the ball forward to evade the pressing of the opposition. He is also aware enough to know when to pass conservatively to slow down the tempo to help teammates recover or pass forward to start attacks/counter attacks.
An excellent trait of his which would serve him well is his ability to drop into the centre of the defence and make it a flat back three whenever the fullbacks push on. This makes him the perfect long-term replacement for the magnificent Busquets.
He can also be fielded alongside the Spanish international as he can carry the ball forward like the best of them and possesses a range of passing that could rival those of more experienced central midfielders.
While Barca has made moves to get him to Spain, Ajax has resisted due to its UEFA Champions League qualifiers. The Blaugrana would dearly love to get him into the team now to continue the regeneration work currently happening at the club. However, a rather pricey €50 million has been quoted for the youngster who could represent better long-term value than even a World Cup winner like Pogba.