Tottenham bought Victor Wanyama for a fraction of the fee Manchester United paid for Paul Pogba.
Manchester United’s Paul Pogba scores their fourth goal
Manchester United paid a world record fee to sign Paul Pogba from Juventus this summer, re-signing the player who was once part of their academy.
The BBC reported the fee as £89 million, and as a result, the expectations upon him are sky high.
Another player who made a summer switch to a Premier League title contender was Victor Wanyama, who has been highly impressive for Tottenham Hotspur.
Wanyama helped Tottenham shut down Manchester City in their last match, a feat Pogba was unable to manage in their 2-1 derby defeat.
Manchester City’s Fernando in action with Tottenham’s Victor Wanyama
A look at the two players this season shows very familiar figures, with Wanyama far more prolific in terms of tackling.
| Passing Accuracy | Won Tackle | Interception Won | Ball Recovery | Touches | Ontarget Scoring Att | Goal Assist | Goals | Mins Played | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Victor Wanyama | 88% | 17 | 8 | 44 | 425 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 595 |
| Paul Pogba | 84% | 8 | 8 | 44 | 561 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 540 |
Wanyama’s superiority when it comes to his tackling is in part due to his clearly defined role as a defensive midfielder, while Pogba is seen as a player capable of doing everything.
Yet this has not helped the Frenchman, as Jose Mourinho has not settled on a set role for him at United, nor a partner, with Marouane Fellaini and Ander Herrera.
As it happens, Wanyama would actually have been the perfect player for Pogba to play alongside, a dominating defensive force, who would enable him more freedom to get forward and dictate the play.
Tottenham’s Victor Wanyama during training
Tottenham signed the Kenyan for a bargain fee of £11 million from Southampton [BBC]. They appeared unopposed in their acquisition of the former Celtic ace, but always had the edge due to his previous work with Mauricio Pochettino.
His form for Spurs is comparable, and even arguably superior to Pogba, managing to be as – if not more influential – despite touching the ball on fewer occasions.
Wanyama was obviously an opportunity missed for United – £100 million on the pair would look a lot better than £89 million for one – while Spurs should be ecstatic with their bargain deal.
United need to find a player this summer or in January who is capable of playing a similar role, but to find one already so experienced in terms of Premier League football, or so talented and fairly priced, will be very difficult.
Manchester City’s Claudio Bravo in action with Manchester United’s Paul Pogba
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