Manchester United signing Paul Pogba is among a pack of new additions to the Fantasy Premier League.
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The all-action midfielder has been priced at £8.5million after his move from Juventus, just in time for managers to draft him in ahead of Gameweek 1’s fixture at AFC Bournemouth.
Arriving back at Old Trafford after his departure in 2012, much is expected of the 23-year-old.
Pogba enjoyed four hugely successful seasons in Serie A since his departure from United.
Eight goals and 12 assists for Juventus over 35 league outings last term offers indication of his potential FPL output.After netting five times in his debut campaign in Italy back in 2012/13, Pogba established himself as a regular in Turin and bagged 15 goals and 10 assists over the next two seasons, despite the 2014/15 campaign being disrupted by a hamstring injury.
An imposing physical presence, Pogba seems destined to be part of a midfield “double pivot” under Jose Mourinho, positioned in front of the back four in a 4-2-3-1 setup.
He will surely be charged with utilising his pace and power to raid forward and punish opponents.
Having largely ignored United as an attacking force last season, FPL managers are now faced with an exciting range of options from Mourinho’s re-shaped squad.
Pogba joins fellow new signings Zlatan Ibrahimovic (£11.5m) and Henrikh Mkhitaryan (£9.5m) as key components in United’s rebuilding programme – all three are poised to be major FPL assets.
Ibrahimovic and Mkhitaryan are found in 37% and 12% of FPL squads respectively. With Antony Martial (£9.5m) classified as a midfield option, there are three viable candidates in this position alone.Intriguingly, Pogba registered an effort on goal every 24.3 minutes for Juventus in 2015/16, surpassing both Mkhitaryan (31.8 minutes) and Martial (48.6 minutes). He will clearly affect the popularity of both as FPL targets from this point on.
With United’s defence also considered a strong source of points, the use of the three permitted slots for Mourinho’s men in 15-man squads looks vital.
Inevitably there will be shifts throughout the season, with FPL managers switching emphasis and targets.
Pogba and Mkhitaryan could be eased into action by Mourinho. Similarly, Martial may be preserved early on following his UEFA Euro 2016 campaign with France.
That may give FPL managers a period to assess the influence of United’s shape and tactics on their attacking assets and, in particular, what Pogba will offer on his return to Old Trafford.
