Is Blaise Matuidi, rather than Paul Pogba, the safer option for Man Utd?

The sound that greeted the final whistle at the Stade de France on Sunday evening wasn’t that of Portugal’s jubilant fans or France’s sobbing support, but the sound of every agents’ phone buzzing and vibrating into life. With Euro 2016 now over the transfer window can truly throw the shutters wide and open for business.

Indeed, the European Championships have somewhat put transfer speculation on hold this summer, with players tied up as long as their team was cooped up in France. Only when Sweden were knocked out in the group stage could Zlatan Ibrahimovic join Manchester United, with Michy Batshuayi joining Chelsea almost as soon as Belgium’s flight back home had touched ground.

But one transfer in particular is expected to come to a head now that Euro 2016 is nothing more than sepia-tinged nostalgia. Paul Pogba has spent the past month or so playing against a backdrop of intense speculation concerning his future, with Man Utd reported to be preparing a world record offer for the 23-year-old French midfielder.

€120 million is the mooted fee, illustrating just how United are willing to flex their financial muscles this summer in order to build the team Jose Mourinho wants for next season. Every transfer window has a defining saga and Pogba’s protracted will-he-won’t-he return to Old Trafford would seem to be this summer’s epic. Pogba and Man Utd are football’s Ross and Rachael - will they finally get back together? Were they just on a break?

However, that doesn’t necessarily mean that Pogba is the man Mourinho and United needs. At a potential price of €120 million the risk attached to signing the Juventus midfielder weighs rather heavy around the neck of everyone at Old Trafford. More so than any other player signed by United, Pogba simply cannot afford to fail.

Perhaps United should look elsewhere, cutting the risk that comes with making such a big signing. Blaise Matuidi, a midfielder of a similar mould to Pogba, is on the market this summer, with Paris Saint-Germain reportedly asking only €7 million for the French international (who is rumoured to have already visited England once this summer to discuss a transfer to the Premier League). Maybe Mourinho should make a move for him instead.

After all, Matuidi is a safer bet than Pogba. At PSG the French midfielder has provided stability as an entire club in transformation revolved around him. Big-money signings, as well as big-name managers, have come and gone at the Parc des Princes, but Matuidi remained. That is testament to his quality and structural significance to the Ligue 1 outfit. His asking price might not reflect it as such, but Matuidi’s quality is recognised by those who know the sport best.

He could have the same influence at Manchester United. Mourinho doesn’t need big-names, he need players who will perform a specific role for him and Matuidi could be one of those figures. The pay-off of signing Pogba could be greater, given his potential as one of the game’s brightest young talents, but Matuidi is a more refined player. He is a steadier, more consistent performer, and he is a ready-made Mourinho-lite, available for a cut-price fee.

Of course, it’s possible that United could sign both Matuidi and Pogba, revamping their entire central midfield unit in one fell swoop. The duo could give Mourinho the midfield platform he needs to give the likes of Ibrahimovic, Marcus Rashford and Henrikh Mkhitaryan the freedom to attack as they please. The mobility, energy and presence Matuidi and Pogba could bring to Man Utd would instantly install them as title challengers. Signing both players could cover them in every possible way.

But if it is a choice between one or the other United should weigh up whether the risk is worth the reward with Pogba. Money has lost its value in the transfer market, but that doesn’t mean that it hasn’t lost consequence. And the consequences of Pogba flopping as the most expensive football player of all time could be great. Greater than even Man Utd could absorb. Matuidi is the safer, shrewder and maybe even more suitable option.