It is probably safe to say that Paul Pogba – that world Cup winners medal aside – did not really fulfil the promise his talent demanded.
Even before the doping ban which could keep him out of football until his mid-30s, Pogba’s Manchester United career ended with a whimper while an emotional return to Juventus resulted less in tears of joy and more tears of disappointment.
Pogba, who turned 31 in March, has only featured eight times in Serie A the two years before falling foul of of a lengthy suspension, per BBC Sport.
But still, the swaggering Frenchman remains one of the more unique profiles we have seen in modern football. A fearsome physical force, yet one also capable of remarkable feats of elegance and skill. Few players in the 21st century have possessed Pogba’s combination of power, finesse and mind-bending brilliance.
So whenever a young midfielder emerges onto the scene with that Pogba-like profile – silk and steel blended into one – comparisons with the 2018 World champion are never usually too far away.
Rangers wanted City Football Group’s Metinho
Take Abemly Meto Silu, for example. Otherwise known as Metinho.
According to the Premier League Brasil website, Rangers had hoped to bring the Congo-born Brazilian to Ibrox on loan. Leicester City were interested too. Speculation over Metinho’s future came to an end this week, however, as he extended his loan deal at Sparta Rotterdam for another year.
Rangers will not be getting their man. Well, not in this window anyway.
Like many a young talent who made his name in South America, Metinho was snapped up by the City Football Group in 2021. The club that represents the likes of Manchester City and Girona paid around £4 million to take the then-teenager from Fluminense. He is currently contracted to Troyes in France, though Metinho is now set to spend a second successive season in the Netherlands.
“People joke and sometimes call him Pogba due to his style, his appearance and because he plays with his head up,” Fluminense academy director Marcelo Veiga once told TV Globo.
You only need to see a few clips of Metinho in action to know where those Pogba comparisons are coming from. Blessed with the confidence and the footwork you would expect for a young man who honed his talents in the land of Jogo Bonito, the quick-witted, press resistant Metinho appears to almost lure unsuspecting midfielders into his trap. Encouraging the opposition to close him down before skipping away with a change of direction and a change of pace.
Metinho has only scored two Eredivisie goals so far but he’s certainly got quite a shot on him too. And, for a player so young, he has no issues taking the initiative, dropping deep to pick up the ball from centre-halves or the goalkeeper before starting attacks.
There was a considerable sigh of relief emanating out of Rotterdam, meanwhile, when it emerged that Metinho would be staying at Sparta for another 12 months. Quite the coup, given the interest of clubs capable of offering either European football in Rangers or Premier League football in Leicester City.
Brazilian is staying in the Eredivisie for now
“We are very happy that Metinho will stay at Sparta,” beams technical director Gerard Nijkamp, via Voetbal Primeur. “Last season, Metinho initially needed adjustment time, but he grew during the season. This was reflected in the statistics, because Metinho became a starting player from March onwards.
“He showed why we brought him to Sparta at the time. We think there is more room for Metinho (to improve).
“And we are looking forward to continuing that upward trend with him in the new season.”
Fortunately, Rangers do already have a midfielder in the Metinho mould in Mohammed Diomande. After a bright start from January onwards, bigger and better things are expected of the Ivorian too in 2023/24.
Rangers’ midfield rebuild continued apace last week, meanwhile. Connor Barron’s arrival from Premiership rivals Aberdeen felt like a major statement of intent from a club looking to add more youth and energy to their side after the departures of John Lundstram and Ryan Jack.
