Man Utd hold talks to sign 'second coming of Pogba'

Unless you've been living under a rock for the past few months you'll know that Manchester United desperately need to sign a crop of new midfielders.

Casemiro's departure and Manuel Ugarte's impending exit mean that in the first window of Michael Carrick's tenure as United manager, he needs to rebuild the midfield.

The basics are in place. In Kobbie Mainoo they have one of the best young players in England and in Bruno Fernandes they have the best player in the Premier League.

Ederson looks set to join in the coming weeks and will provide more from the ground up, protecting the defense and keeping the attack going. However, Jason Wilcox and Co. cannot stop there in their quest to improve those central areas.

Man United is planning something else after Ederson

On Tuesday evening news emerged that United have wrapped up a deal for the Atalanta midfielder, agreeing to a fee of around £35m to bring him to English football.

So, what's next? Chances are they will spend a huge sum to bring in a true top class midfielder. That won't be easy though.

Elliot Anderson's move to Nottingham Forest and Sandro Tonali's move to Newcastle seems a bit tricky considering they could fetch £100m.

Another target for West Ham's Mateus Fernandes is also said to be worth £80m. Those in the Premier League know they can charge a premium for their star asset.

As a result, United may need to be creative, they may need a cheaper alternative.

According to Spanish reports, via Sport Witness, that man could be Sevilla's Lucien Agoume. They report that the Spanish club have gone to United and held talks with the 24-year-old player.

In fact, Sevilla have offered the player to Carrick and Co, telling them to pay around £22m if they want to lure him away from LaLiga.

Why Agoume could be Man United's new Pogba

Paul Pogba, eh? The Frenchman has been an enigma but there have been a few interesting players in recent times at Old Trafford.

While things ended bitterly when he left Manchester behind, he did so by giving fans a collection of fond memories. Nobody forgets Pogba in a hurry and the fact that it is still being talked about in these parts speaks volumes.

The midfielder came out with 233 games under his belt, registering 81 goals in that time.

Pogba was the definition of a box-to-box master. His energy was endless. His ability to manage the players of the previous team was unmatched. He was a monster in the middle of the park, contributing effectively at both ends of the pitch.

However, in Agoume, United could sign “the second return of Paul Pogba”, as he was referred to by European football expert Zach Lowy when he first broke through in France's Sochaux and Inter.

It's safe to say that the midfielder hasn't lived up to the hype he was given at a young age and the fact that Sevilla want to offload him probably doesn't paint a very good picture.

Agoume didn't finish the season in Sevilla in the best way but he did miss a match for the Spanish team, explaining his importance.

A dogged and aggressive player, he received 11 yellow cards. He scored one goal but the player from Cameroon registered four assists.

What makes Agoume more similar to Pogba is his strength. Standing just an inch shorter than the big Frenchman at 6 foot 2, he has long leverage to penetrate the midfield. Their long, wiry frame is the same.

As a result, he is able to make a large number of ball returns. In 2024/25, the Sevilla star ranked in the top 18% of midfielders in LaLiga in that metric, finishing 5.78 out of 90. For context, in 2021/22, Pogba made 6.51 more for United in the Premier League.

In space, both are amazing. During his prime at Old Trafford, the French star won 2.39 aerials per 90 in the same season mentioned above. Agoume won 1.79 out of 90 in 2024/25. In the words of Alexander Barker of The Athletic, the “physical” section of Agoume's inspection report is “a big green tick”.

Barker comments that “he's a fantastic player. He's tall, strong, fast, and quick,” which sure sounds like Pogba, doesn't it?

Of course, the Sevilla man is not a carbon copy of Pogba. He averaged less than one dribble per 90, mainly due to his limited role as a number 6 in the Spanish team's midfield. That said, in terms of winning the ball back and producing a physical presence from midfield, they are cut from the same cloth.