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Manchester Evening News
Manchester Evening News
Sport
Richard Fay

Manchester United can give Paul Pogba what he wants with formation change

Most of the focus in the summer transfer window is on how Manchester United can transform their fortunes by adding quality players to an already talented first-team squad - but it isn't the only alteration Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is considering.

Jadon Sancho is set to be officially unveiled as a new summer signing imminently, while a move for Raphael Varane is progressing steadily as Solskjaer looks to add further world-class ability to his young side.

But it could be a tactical tweak this summer which actually proves to have the biggest impact on United's approach next season, with an emphasis on their own attacking threat rather than looking to subdue that of the opposition.

With a serious Premier League title challenge the minimum expectation for Solskjaer in his third full season at the club it is understandable why he would want to be brave, playing to his side's strengths will be crucial if they are to fulfil any of their ambitions.

As such there is a belief United will alter their approach in midfield from a 4-2-3-1 approach to that of a 4-3-3 with only one defensive-minded midfielder rather than the safety net of two which became the norm last season.

It doesn't mean the end for Scott McTominay and Fred as an effective, though limited defensive duo, but it should mean less of them with Paul Pogba and Bruno Fernandes both unleashed in their preferred attacking roles instead.

Such a change could prove crucial in convincing Pogba to further extend his stay at Old Trafford as he enters the final year of his current deal, with attacking freedom potentially one way of ensuring he pens a new deal.

“It’s true that at Juve it was different from Manchester United," he told L’Equipe a month ago. "I had the freedom, I had to be in the box, to attack. It was an obligation. In Manchester, I have the freedom to go into the box, but the priority is to play and defend.”

This licence to attack at his own leisure brought the best out of Pogba in the European Championship with France as the United midfielder shone on the summer stage, replicating such form could be crucial to a title bid next season.

Such international form is underpinned by the fact N'Golo Kante is world-class at anchoring the midfield and allowing him the freedom to indulge as an attacker, in order for United to mimic it successfully a defensive specialist will likely be needed too.

Though the summer addition of Sancho could all but end Pogba's fleeting stardom as a left winger, it might unlock the opportunity for him and Fernandes to be used in tandem as an attacking axis.

With only a year left on his current deal it is a gamble which is worth the risk - if it pays off Pogba might not only guide United to their first title in nine years but he could be convinced to stick around and try to defend it too.

Do you want an exclusive pre-season United preview - both in your inbox and through your letterbox? Head over here to find out more and secure your copy.

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