3 reasons Paul Pogba at D.C. United makes a lot of sense | OneFootball

According to GiveMeSport's Tom Bogert and Ben Jacobs, D.C. United has held preliminary discussions about signing Paul Pogba during the MLS secondary transfer window, as the former France international Manchester United and Juventus star looks to return from an 18-month doping ban that expired earlier this spring.

Obviously, a player of Pogba's pedigree -- despite considerable expected rust -- could be useful to most MLS teams. But D.C. United are a better fit than most. Here are three reasons why.

D.C.'s obvious creative midfield need

Striker Christian Benteke has delivered up to the loftiest expectations with 43 goals scored across portions of four MLS seasons, including a Golden Boot-winning haul of 23 last season.

And this year, he's sitting on five goals through nine games despite an obvious absence of high-end creative talent behind him. D.C.'s leaders in expected assists, per opta, are MLS veteran winger Jared Stroud (1.6) and Austrian defensive midfielder David Schnegg (1.7).

Pogba is more of a No. 8/No. 10 hybrid than a pure No. 10. Even so, the significant step down in class most likely would correspond with Pogba playing closer to a true No. 10 role and immediately becoming Benteke's most consistent source of service.

Pogba's stature could go further in D.C.

In terms of notoriety, Pogba is kind of in the second- or third-tier of veteran European star names, capable of registering with American fans but not with the same cachet as current MLS marquee man Lionel Messi, or former stars who spent some of their last days in the league, including Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Wayne Rooney.

Pogba will resonate more in a city with a more knowledgeable fanbase -- particularly with regards to the English game, where Pogba has spent so much of his club career -- and that describes Washington perfectly.

For years, Washington has sat at or near the top of American cities when it comes to Premier League TV ratings. While part of that owes to time zone issues -- Premier League games are typically concentrated in mid-to-late weekend morning hours on the East Coast, against the earlier morning out West -- Washington's multi-national, well-traveled population also helps.

Pogba would undoubtedly play with Washington casual fans, at a level greater than any previous signing for the club except for Rooney's one-and-a-half seasons with the Black-and-Red.

LIttle dressing-room history to disrupt

The other concern when signing a player of Pogba's stature is that it might disturb with dynamics in the dressing room, particularly with long-tenured but less-famous club veterans.

At D.C., Pogba would find the least-tenured roster in MLS aside from the obvious exception of expansion side San Diego FC. According to data from Transfermarkt, the longest-serving current first-team player at D.C. is 20-year-old academy product Jackson Hopkins. The average team tenure is less than a year.

And while Benteke is among the longest-tenured D.C. players, he's more of the quieter lead-by-example guy. Pogba could immediately and credibly become the Black-and-Red's vocal leader without much disruption.