Man United have pick of three ‘progressers’ in summer to do job Pogba could not

Whether Paul Pogba leaves Manchester United at the end of the season or extends his contract is entirely up to him, and let’s leave it at that.

However, United need to plan for the summer as if the former is the case. That means first identifying what they believe Pogba brought to the team because it is clear that several managers had different ideas about how he should be used.

Jose Mourinho used him as a number 10 in his statistically best season. In contrast, Solskjaer tried to use him deeper as a box to box player and as a more defensive player in the pivot before eventually throwing him out wide.

It seems the most common role Pogba played was of the deep-lying playmaker, tasked with picking the ball up from the defensive midfielder (a rare sight nowadays) or a defender, turning and then playing the ball forward to progress the play.

This is a waste of Pogba’s talents, but he did add his own ‘je ne sais quoi’, so to speak, regularly, pinging the ball long to find his man perfectly and cutting through defences in the process.

With the chance creation and risk-taking monster that is Bruno Fernandes to make up for losing Pogba’s cutting edge, a ‘safe progressor’ is what United needs. Someone who can reliably keep the play moving forward and doesn’t lose the ball in midfield often, which is one criticism you can have of the Frenchman, especially when put under pressure in the pivot.

So let’s have a look at three possible options for United to consider (FBref provides all the following statistics):

Fabian Ruiz

If you were to look up the definition ‘safe in possession’ on Google, you’d just be shown an image of Fabian Ruiz; he’s that good with the ball at his feet.

The midfielder has a pass completion of 89.1%, which is impressive when you consider he averages 78.64 passes per 90 minutes played. For context Scott McTominay over 120 minutes against Middlesbrough only managed 50.

Of those 78.64 passes per 90 minutes played, just over 12 of those are completed under pressure, which ranks him alongside some of the best midfielders in the world. This will reduce the risk factor that has plagued the team in midfield.

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Ruiz consistently moves the ball forward, with 5.69 progressive passes per 90 minutes played and 7.03 progressive carries.

The cherry on top of the cake statistically is his 3.51 shot-creating actions per game, which is slightly more than Pogba, who manages 3.47 (but in a more advanced role at times).

Most United fans will be happy with the fact his contract expires in 2023, so he will be available for a reasonable price.

Ismael Bennacer

Staying in Italy but moving from the sunny coast of Naples to the metropolitan districts of Milan, we have our next potential replacement in Ismael Bennacer.

The Arsenal academy graduate has been making a name for himself since he left London as one of the most promising prospects in world football.

A much more defensively sound option than Ruiz, Bennacer averages 2.95 tackles per 90 minutes played and 2.26 interceptions. He is also a reasonably good presser with 21.36.

In terms of getting the ball forward, he has 5.54 progressive passes per 90 minutes played and 5.26 progressive carries. Like Pogba, he also enjoys taking his man on, averaging 1.89 dribbles per 90 compared to Pogba’s 2.17.

With Franck Kessie leaving AC Milan on a free in the summer, the Italian club will likely be reluctant to part ways with their Algerian midfielder, but a reasonable bid could change their minds.

James Garner

This is not the ideal option and would provide a significant risk if he could not make the step up. Still, with a substantial fee being rumoured regarding Declan Rice, United may look to save money elsewhere by giving a chance to James Garner.

After spending a considerable amount of time on loan, Garner, like every English midfielder who shows a significant technical ability, has moved further up the pitch from his original defensive midfield position and is now more of an eight.

The MEN Sport understands that United were considering bringing Garner back from his loan in January but decided against it due to the midfielder receiving guaranteed minutes at Nottingham Forest. Is there a chance we could see Garner make a name for himself in the future?

Who do you think should replace Paul Pogba at Manchester United? Follow our United On My Mind writer Casey Evans on Twitter and get involved in the discussion in the comment section below.