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Reports of Paul Pogba’s possible departure from Manchester United are heating up, so how could the Red Devils work his departure to their advantage?

What's the story?

According to The Daily Star, Pogba has already told Ole Gunnar Solskjaer that he is leaving for Real Madrid this summer.

The report cites Spanish journalist Eduardo Inda as saying: “He has let Solskjaer know that he wants to go, he has been offered £500,000 pounds, but he wants to go and the signing is almost done.”

Meanwhile, The Mirror claim that James Rodriguez will be left looking for a new club this summer, as Bayern Munich will not make his loan move into a permanent one and Real Madrid do not want him back.

So, should the Red Devils ask for Rodriguez as part of any potential Pogba deal?

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A long-running problem solved?

It goes without saying that the two players are completely different, and in no way, shape or form will Rodriguez replace the role Pogba played in Solskjaer’s team.

However, a switch to a 4-2-3-1 could accommodate the Colombian, while also solving a problem that multiple managers have had at Old Trafford in recent years – the lack of a dynamic, do-it-all midfielder.

Louis van Gaal and Jose Mourinho both suffered for a lack of midfield quality, but if the Red Devils play their cards right they may become more balanced without signing that box-to-box presence Solskjaer's predecessors were crying out for.

By placing James in the number ten position, surrounded by the electric skill and pace of the likes of Anthony Martial, Marcus Rashford and potentially Jadon Sancho, Solskjaer could focus his two holding players more on the defensive side of the game.

This would in effect end the incessant and unsuccessful hunt for a true box-to-box midfielder, of which a world class one is extremely hard to find, because the 4-2-3-1 formation does not require one.

Defensive midfielders who read the game well and spray the ball about are a lot easier to find and cheaper to purchase, and they would of course allow James to do what he does best – score and assist goals.

If Pogba does leave this summer, getting some cash and a new number ten as part of the deal would surely soften the blow, and Solskjaer’s team may actually become more balanced as a result.