As history’s most expensive footballer, Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba has been the subject of intense scrutiny since returning to English football.
The 23-year-old, paid a reported $360,000 a week, has just two Premier League goals to his name, and took until November to register his first league assist.
Some have claimed the Frenchman’s Old Trafford career since his $120 million transfer from Juventus has been more notable for his haircuts and dance moves than his in-game contributions but, at least statistically, much of the criticism has been wide of the mark.
Here are six reasons why Pogba is beginning to pay back the investment United made:
Pogba has created 25 goalscoring opportunities in the Premier League this season — more than any other summer signing or Manchester United player.
Pogba has performed 39 successful dribbles — more than any other central midfielder, and as many as Man United midfield partners Juan Mata (12), Ander Herrera (14), Henrikh Mkhitaryan (7) and Marouane Fellaini (6) put together.
Pogba has completed an average of 57.6 passes per game in the Premier League this season. Only Man City’s Fernandinho (60 per game), Arsenal’s Santi Carzola (62), and Liverpool’s Jordan Henderson (75) make more. The 23-year-old has an average pass length of 17 meters, and 76% of his 776 passes have gone forward.
Not known for his defensive prowess, Pogba has made 24 Premier League interceptions — the fourth most at Manchester United and just one fewer than Chelsea defensive midfielder, Nemanja Matic.
He has also been strong in the air, winning 41 aerial challenges — the same number as Manchester United defenders Chris Smalling (18), Eric Bailly (8), Daley Blind (15) combined.
The Frenchman has the best overall Performance Score (258) of all the twenty summer signings included in CNN Money’s ‘Return on Investment’ interactive. He may be the world’s most expensive player — placing him 17th in the ROI rankings with a 0.89 rating.
It’s early days but Pogba’s stock is beginning to rise.