United fail to sign Pogba replacement, Madrid miss out

The Premier League window is closed and Paul Pogba remains a Manchester United player. Real Madrid and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side couldn't reach any form of agreement and the Red Devils didn't sign a replacement for the talismanic midfielder.

Zinedine Zidane is now aware that he won't have the player he wanted to build his second Real Madrid project around. The possibility of the French midfielder arriving at Madrid now are practically zero. 

in the final days of the transfer window, United did ignite interest in Christian Eriksen, which might have made a Pogba deal more possible. The Dane was said to prefer a move to Madrid, however, and that interest ended. The other option was Bruno Fernandes but he didn't arrive either.

Zidane was resolute about his number one transfer target

During the entire summer, Zidane fought for Pogba and never once strayed from his number one target. He didn't flinch when Madrid planned for alternatives in Eriksen and Van de Beek either. The latter has agreed to a deal and now, in the absence of Pogba, that option might be activated.

Ajax have the possibility of signing Vanaken from Club Brugge and that might be an easier option that Eriksen. He has still not renwewed with the London club and with the arrival of Gio Lo Celso, he might push for an exit. That is certainly not off the table but Pogba will be bitterly disappointed with the failed pursuit of his primary target regardless of what happens now.