Paul Pogba
- Thread starter Butaan4barca
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Ghostmaster
Danger Ahead
Look at stats "chances created", he is the third in La Liga after Messi and Ronaldo, the guy also is like Mascherano in midfield - 2.5 tackles per game, he is buzzing all match defending and pressing and you also should watch Spain NT games where he link up well with Iniesta, Busi or Isco while in Atletico he is surrounded with players like Mario Suarez, Tiago or Gabi, players who don't really help him to control the midfield.
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Ghostmaster
Danger Ahead
But it's not like RM, we transferred them Villa afterall, so it's not that there is no contact between clubs, it's just it's seems that player himself doesn't want to move.
Ursegor
World Champion
Yeah, there is no animosity between Barca and Atletico like there is between Real and Atletico but they still won't sell their best players to a direct rival unless Barca pay the buyout clause and the player wants to move. Which is not the case, otherwise Koke would be a Barca player already. Also wouldn't be surprised if Simeone was promised that no important player will be sold as a major condition for his renewal.
That aside: Koke would be perfect for Lucho's system. PERFECT. Has the defensive abilities and engine off the ball and very good technique to contribute offensively even if he isn't a specialist passing maestro. Busquets, Koke, Rakitic would be a very good all-around midfield to outpossess almost every team in the world but also stay compact off the ball and play more direct when necessary against teams like Real last week.
That aside: Koke would be perfect for Lucho's system. PERFECT. Has the defensive abilities and engine off the ball and very good technique to contribute offensively even if he isn't a specialist passing maestro. Busquets, Koke, Rakitic would be a very good all-around midfield to outpossess almost every team in the world but also stay compact off the ball and play more direct when necessary against teams like Real last week.
Sumlit
San Claudio Bravo
I don't care if they have to pay the buy out honestly. Koke is worth €60m+ in my view. Young, talented, with loads of experience and would fit the team like a glove. That's a starting midfielder for the next decade, €60m is a bargain for 10 years of quality midfield play. Any young talented midfielder you buy is going to cost you a fortune anyway, Pogba might cost double that and wont fit as well. The main issue with Koke is both Atletico is highly unlikely to sell, and the player himself might be too much an Atletico fan to leave them.
Leo_Messi
New member
Koke would be a better fit in Lucho's system but he won't be willing to move IMO as a canterano. Atlético are on the rise and historically good. Simeone just signed a contract extension. That Chinese businessman (forgot his name) is willing to invest in the club etc. In other words then the future looks promising so why leave?
Pogba is a great player already and is likely only to get better I am just not sure if he is the type of player that we need to throw at least 80 million euros at. He does not strike me as a player that is able to control the tempo of the game and who has his strengths in the passing game.
He seems more like a typical powerful box-to-box player with occasional flashy play. When I see him play then I don't see a "complete" (almost) player such as Koke or a unique one such as Verratti in terms of controlling the tempo of a game, ball circulation, vision etc.
I would pass.
Pogba is a great player already and is likely only to get better I am just not sure if he is the type of player that we need to throw at least 80 million euros at. He does not strike me as a player that is able to control the tempo of the game and who has his strengths in the passing game.
He seems more like a typical powerful box-to-box player with occasional flashy play. When I see him play then I don't see a "complete" (almost) player such as Koke or a unique one such as Verratti in terms of controlling the tempo of a game, ball circulation, vision etc.
I would pass.
Ursegor
World Champion
It Atleti don't want to sell we're talking about € 60M + tax though, so probably closer to € 100M. Suppose that Koke asks for a transfer to begin with which he won't given his statements just 8 months ago. He might reconsider in 1 or 2 seasons if Atletico drop off but I don't see that happening with Simeone remaining in charge. As long as they stay competitive in the top 3 and reach at least the CL quarters he won't be in a hurry to ask for a transfer anytime soon. Wouldn't be surprised if he only moves on when he's older like Villa.
DrPepper
New member
Yep, and buying Pogba doesn't solve anything. We'd still need a player to play the "Xavi role" - a distributing player that controls our rhythm, tempo and flow of the game. Both Rakitic and Pogba are better playing a more vertical part.
Koke on the other hand... The only player I'd take instead of Gündogan despite paying 60M+
Koke on the other hand... The only player I'd take instead of Gündogan despite paying 60M+
khaled_a_d
Senior Member
Yep, and buying Pogba doesn't solve anything. We'd still need a player to play the "Xavi role" - a distributing player that controls our rhythm, tempo and flow of the game. Both Rakitic and Pogba are better playing a more vertical part.
Koke on the other hand... The only player I'd take instead of Gündogan despite paying 60M+
Koke is a Madrid native who has interest from English clubs .even if he decided to leave it won't be for Barca
I am not sure a CM of Xavi mold will work under Lucho system .right now the player who controls the tempo is the DM not the CM .or basically we are playing with CM and LCM&RCM in front of him but we still call them DM/CM/AM for old days sake
Both Koke&Pogba would fit immensely at Iniesta LCM role .but I highly doubt that playing in Barca is in Koke's mind .
Pogba on the other hand is going to the highest bidder ,Giuseppe Marotta recently said that he can get 80M for him and if someone saying something like that I highly doubt it is the floor of the price he is expecting .the talking about 100-120M for Pogba is just for media .he will cost a lot but not that a lot
The board IMO is right to be trying to get him .he is the one actually available who would fit in Lucho system .won't complain if we managed to get Koke but it is very doubtful
G
Gasgas
Guest
This. Pogba all the way
With the way we play we dont need a Xavi type of player At all
DrPepper
New member
I never said we need a player like Xavi, but then again most people here want Verratti who is probably the closest thing to Xavi right now. In Rakitic we already have someone for the vertical CM role (who already even plays that part) and that's why there's no reason to buy Pogba.
Btw it simply isn't true that we don't need a distributing player, and no, Busquets is not the one, although he is extremely good at that. Right now Iniesta is playing that part and it's clear to see that it's not his favorite role. Rakitic struggled doing it as well when he was asked to at the start of the season. People complain about a lack of control that we had (clear to see against Madrid recently) but then again want to buy a player to even further increase our lack of.
Look at other teams; Real, Chelsea, Bayern, Paris. Some of them are more vertical than us and all of them have that link up player. Without one, we'll become very isolated. Pogba's and Rakitic's strenghts are somewhere else.
Doesn't mean they're solely restricted to build up play. That's basically why I prefer Koke or Gündogan for that spot, since they bring a lot of other qualities that are helpful for our current mixed playing style. Great awareness of distributing the ball but with the needed box-to-box aspects that Xavi for example lacked.
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Ursegor
World Champion
I have a bad feeling about Pogba. Big physical player who scores some long range golazos from midfield in Serie A with fancy footwork and marketed by Raiola = € 80M+ is a recipe for disaster IMO. I remember a similar Vidal hype train 2 seasons ago. His highlight to date in any meaningful game remains a funny dive in the Bernabeu.
Only 7 players across the top 5 leagues are more often dispossessed than Pogba and all of them are final third players. A terrible trait for a midfielder. What makes it even worse is that Serie A isn't exactly known for its pacey, high pressing nature. He has an equally high number of unsuccessful touches. I would be wary.
Only 7 players across the top 5 leagues are more often dispossessed than Pogba and all of them are final third players. A terrible trait for a midfielder. What makes it even worse is that Serie A isn't exactly known for its pacey, high pressing nature. He has an equally high number of unsuccessful touches. I would be wary.
Frodo_FCB
New member
Still don't get all this hype about Pogba..Contrary to most users here, I don't think he fits in our system, not at all. He is actually one of the most anti-Barca type midfielders out there. Still a great player, probably a bit overrated, because he plays in serie a, not exactly the most competitive league. I wouldn't sign him, especially with the huge fee it is required for him. I would take Verrati over him or Koke and even Gundogan with less money.
People constantly talk about Lucho's Barca in absolute terms, when we are unaware of its fate in 2 months, or until after the subsequent elections. We don't know if any of his potential successor would use the "organised chaos" as the prototype for his project. In which case, any purchase fitting Lucho's Barca may prove redundant in a changeover. Our current set-up has veered off from MF dominance to emphasis on individual brilliance. Whilst it may bring ephemeral high to those clamouring for change, I'm unconvinced of its efficacy long-term.
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