Newcastle United are rumoured to be 'monitoring' Paul Pogba's current contract situation with Manchester United, with the French midfielder available on a free transfer this summer.
Pogba has spent six years at Manchester United since signing for a then world-record transfer fee of £89.3m from Juventus in 2016, but after failing to live up to expectations in that time, the midfielder looks set to leave on the expiry of his contract this summer. The Reds have failed to tie down the Frenchman, with the Magpies one of many teams potentially interested in his services next season.
In an interview with the Sun, Pogba expressed his displeasure of the last five years at United, claiming he's been left unsatisfied and wants to win trophies. The Sun also report that Juventus, Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid remain the favourites to sign Pogba in the summer, though the Magpies along with Aston Villa are also reportedly monitoring the situation.
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The 29-year-old said in his interview: "The last five seasons have not satisfied me – really not at all. This year it is dead, we won’t win anything. Whether it is with Manchester United or at another club, I want to win trophies."
So, if Pogba was to make the move to Newcastle next season, what sort of impact would the French international have on the Magpies? We simulated the 2022/23 season to find out.
We 'signed' Paul Pogba for Newcastle in July 2022
To set up this simulation, we used the Football Manager 2022 editor to arrange for Pogba to join Newcastle in the upcoming summer transfer window. This is what the 29-year-old's profile looks like in-game on FM22.
Despite not performing to the best of his ability over the last few seasons, Pogba still boasts one of the best midfielder profiles in FM22, described by the media as a 'World Class Midfielder'. His technique (19), passing (18), first touch (18), flair (18), balance (18) and stamina (18) are his best attributes.
In his first season at Newcastle, Pogba quickly found his feet, becoming a regular in Eddie Howe's side. The Magpies would regularly switch between a 4-3-3 and a 4-4-2 formation, but Pogba was ever-present, playing 43 games in all competitions.
Pogba was truly one of the best midfielders in the league under Howe, with the Frenchman grabbing 10 goals and seven assists in all competitions, with 11 of his 17 goal contributions coming in the Premier League. He also averaged a rating of 7.36 per game, the best in the Magpies squad.
At the end of the 2022/23 season, Football Manager 2022 put together an overall best Newcastle XI, based on performances, statistics and other metrics. This is what Newcastle's best XI looked like at the end of the 2022/23 season as predicted by Football Manager 2022:
Full Newcastle best XI (4-3-3): Dubravka; Trippier, Stones, Lascelles, Targett; Pogba, Guimaraes, De Roon; Saint-Maximin, Wilson, Perisic.
Along with Pogba, Howe made another six summer signings, with five including Pogba making the best XI. Matt Targett was signed on a permanent deal from Aston Villa, whilst John Stones arrived from Manchester City.
Martin de Roon joined Pogba in midfield after signing from Atalanta, whilst Ivan Perisic made the best XI after arriving on a free transfer. Leeds youngster Charlie Cresswell and Villarreal forward Arnaut Danjuma also signed with the Magpies, but neither made the best XI.
At the end of the season, Pogba was the highest-rated player at Newcastle based on average rating per game, whilst he also grabbed the most Player of the Match awards. His 10 goals also made him the joint-second top scorer.
Pogba made the most appearances during the season at the club, with his 43 two more than Martin Dubravka (41). Stones averaged the second-best rating (7.15), whilst fellow summer signing De Roon averaged the third-best (7.10).
So, how did the Magpies perform in the league and cup competitions with Pogba in the squad? Did the midfielder make a big improvement to their results come the end of the season?
Newcastle's results from the 2021/22 simulation
The Magpies were unsuccessful in both domestic cup competitions, being knocked out in both cups to the eventual winners of both, Liverpool. Howe's side made it all the way to the Carabao Cup semi-final, but defeat over two legs saw Newcastle knocked out at the penultimate hurdle.
Two goals from Sadio Mane eliminated Newcastle from the Carabao Cup, whilst a 3-1 defeat saw the Magpies knocked out in the FA Cup third round, despite Pogba getting on the scoresheet. The Magpies didn't struggle in the league though, with Howe's side finishing in a much-improved position on this season.
Newcastle had an impressive season in the Premier League, but they just missed out on a European spot, finishing eighth in the table. Despite ending the season strongly, the Magpies were defeated by Leicester City on the final day of the season, meaning the Foxes overtook Newcastle and claimed the Europa Conference League spot.
Overall Football Manager predicts that if Pogba were to sign for Newcastle this summer, the French midfielder could re-discover his best form at St. James' Park, becoming a vital part of Newcastle's squad. His impact in midfield could see him become one of the league's best midfielders again, whilst almost guiding Newcastle to a European spot in the Premier League.
Would you like to see Newcastle sign Paul Pogba? Let us know in the comments!
FIFA 22 is available now on all platforms, including PlayStation 5 (PS5), Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PlayStation 4 (PS4), Xbox One, PC and Stadia.
