Manchester United have reportedly identified Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Tanguy Ndombele as a potential candidate to replace Paul Pogba at the club.
According to a report from Spanish outlet Fichajes, Manchester United have identified a shock candidate in Tottenham Hotspur star Tanguy Ndombele as a candidate to replace midfield mainstay Paul Pogba should he leave the club in 2022.
It is no secret at this point that Pogba could very well be on his way out of Manchester United at the end of the season when his contract runs out. The 28-year-old has been heavily linked with a move to Real Madrid and while there have been claims that he may be ready to commit to a new contract at Old Trafford, there has been no progress made.
As a result, Manchester United, despite hoping to tie Pogba down to a new contract, are preparing for the eventuality that he might end up leaving. And as per the report, the 20-time English champions have now identified Tottenham Hotspur’s much-maligned midfielder, Tanguy Ndombele, as a potential replacement candidate.
Ndombele broke onto the scenes at French club Olympique Lyon that earned him a transfer to Tottenham Hotspur in the summer of 2019 in a club-record deal. However, the move has failed to work out as planned, as the 24-year-old has struggled to establish himself as a regular at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Indeed, Ndombele was largely out of favour under Jose Mourinho during his first year at the club and while he did show signs of resurgence last term, he once again dropped down the pecking order. The case was similar under interim boss Ryan Mason, and now new permanent manager Nuno Espirito Santo, too.
Ndombele, so far, has featured just twice in the new season, with his start against Chelsea this past weekend being his first since April in the Premier League. Despite his struggles to get a foothold in the side, the 24-year-old Frenchman is a talented midfielder, who, when on song, can go toe-to-toe with the best.
An able ball-carrier blessed with great vision and ability to control and shield the ball under pressure, he can be a like-for-like replacement for Pogba at Manchester United, at least on paper. However, given his struggles in England thus far, it does come as a bit of a shocker that the Red Devils are looking at him as an option to bolster their midfield unit in case their French talisman departs.
Apart from Ndombele, the report adds that AC Milan midfielder Franck Kessie, who is in the final year of his contract with the Rossoneri, is also an option that is being considered by the Manchester United hierarchy. What now remains to be seen is if there is any truth to these reports of interest in Ndombele and if so, whether the Red Devils do make an attempt to sign him from Tottenham.
