Paul Pogba - Juventus

The one that got away. Despite the French midfielder being in the clutches of United during his youth career and impressing a lot of the bosses, Sir Alex Ferguson saw him leave the club when he decided that Tom Cleverley was the better prospect.

Pogba made the switch to Juventus in 2012 and it has worked wonders for him. Now in a midfield with Andrea Pirlo and Arturo Vidal, Pogba is recognised as one of the strongest central midfielders in Europe under the age of 21 and is continuing to blossom in Turin.

He has the strength of Marouane Fellaini, the awareness of Tom Cleverley and a technique that would give Michael Carrick a run for his money, but he combines it with a vigour and a directness to make what could be described as the perfect midfielder.

In his 23 Serie A games the France international has played 37 key passes and scored six goals, as well as holding an 85% pass completion. 

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Ivan Rakitic - Sevilla

Plying his trade in La Liga with Sevilla, Rakitic has been one of the standout players in the entire Spanish topflight. The Croatia international is a central midfielder who is incredibly energetic and who bosses the areas in and around the opposition box.

He is traditionally a box-to-box type player who supports when needed, but the fluidity that his current club are playing with this season has seen him push up more often than not and he has thrived in his more offensive role.

So far this season he has 22 league games to his name this season in which he has scored an impressive 10 goals. He has also scored another two in cup competitions and claimed a whopping 13 assists, as well as registering 60 key passes in the league.

At 25 he is entering his peak and I genuinely believe that he on his own could make United title contenders again, and for that reason I would suggest he be first choice.

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Will Hughes - Derby

Consistently linked to every top Premier League side, Derby managed to stave off admiring glances from clubs, especially Liverpool, to retain the youngster for their assault on the Championship to return to the promised land.

If Derby fail this year though, their grasp on Hughes may begin to loosen that little bit more and it would do no harm to Newcastle to enter into negotiations early for this prodigious young talent.

Not fleet of foot but superb technically and 10 yards ahead of most players on the pitch in his head, Will Hughes would provide a lovely complement to the more athletic nature of Tiote and Sissoko.

Playing as part of a midfield 3, Hughes would have more licence to push forward and would enjoy the same at Newcastle with Tiote providing back up and experience.

Much like Clasie, Hughes with time will learn to demand the ball and will begin to take more games by the scruff of the neck and have a meaningful impact pretty much every game as evidenced by his avg. pass accuracy of 87%. Will is no stranger to keeping hold of the ball and taking the attack on, which is something which Cabaye would provide a lot of.

If Newcastle did not want to directly replace Cabaye with a player who would take the same positions, there are a few other potential avenues open to them, in my eyes, which they could consider.

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Jordy Clasie - Feyenoord

 This young man is currently starring for Feyenoord in the Eredivisie. Labelled the Dutch 'Xavi', this little playmaker would replace Cabaye's creativity and would encourage more attacking football from a side that can get lost from time to time.

Able to use both feet, Jordy is a creative hub always looking to link the play and keep the ball moving. Readily available, the tandem that he would share with Tiote could be one of the most balanced in the Premier League and would provide the type of platform Newcastle could build on to reach European competition and push for silverware.

Recording an average of around 55.5 passes a game demonstrates the effect the young man has on the game and is not afraid to demand the ball and take charge, something that would endear him to the Newcastle faithful.

Like Xavi, Jordy is capable as playing as part of a 2 or 3 man midfield and intelligently changes with the team in order to maximise both his strengths and those of his team mates.

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Andre Martins - Sporting

Part of Sporting's renaissance this year, Martins makes up 1/3 of the all Portuguese midfield Sporting deploy. Teamed alongside the more defensive minded William Carvalho, Andre has gone about his business quietly, providing a more attacking force to complement the destructive play of Carvalho.

As evidenced by his three goals this year, Andre is happy to get forward but also doesn't shy away from his defensive duties and would fit in perfectly with the work ethic installed by Pardew.

Andre's performances this year and last have resulted in a call up to the national team and will very likely be on the plane to Rio this summer.

As you can expect of any Portuguese player Andre is very skilled and comfortable with the ball and is happy to step forward and take charge of the creative responsibilities of the team.

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Luke Shaw

Going back to the Manchester United defence, Patrice Evra is another player who is out of contract in the summer and another player who will need to be replaced, if he leaves that is. The man who stands out in terms of a full-back is Southampton's Luke Shaw.  

Despite still being 18, he has the physique of someone 10 years his elder and it has benefitted him greatly in the topflight as he goes shoulder to shoulder with some of the biggest wingers in Europe.

He burst onto the scene about a year ago and has been the first choice left-back ever since and in my eyes in the future of the England defence.

He's strong when pushing forward but is also impressive when cutting opponent attacks apart. This season he has 23 games under his belt in the league and he has won 57% of his attempted tackles.

For me Shaw is the player who every top player should be going for, but considering United may not have a left-back come the summer then I would say they need it most.

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Paul Pogba

Sir Alex Ferguson must have been wincing every time the France international scored a goal last season after he let him leave the club on a free transfer. Pogba has impressed massively in Turin playing alongside Andrea Pirlo and Arturo Vidal, and has been a huge influence in the Serie A side's success over the past season and a half.

He is big, strong and can run straight through people but he is also a very technical player. He has quit feet, can pick a pass and can certainly test the keeper from range, and there aren't many players in European football with the level of talent as the 20-year-old's.

He has 23 appearances to his name this season in the Italian top tier and has completed 85% of his passes. He has also made 37 key passes and scored six goals, as well as winning almost 60% of his headers.

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Ivan Rakitic

Forget about Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, Ivan Rakiticis the man in La Liga who has impressed me most this season. The Sevilla midfielder is an energetic outlet who gets in the face of opponents and makes life difficult for them.

He is willing to work hard to dispossess the other team, close gaps down and keep things tight in the middle, all the while being a threat going forward. The Croatia international has played 21 league games for the Spanish outfit this season and has scored 10 goals. He has also scored another two in cup competitions and has claimed 13 assists all in all, which is a quite remarkable return.

He has a pass completion rate of 81% and has won 36 tackles, and for me is the perfect man to come in and glue the United team together. He may not be as imposing as Fellaini or the player I am about to mention, but he has a lot to offer.

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Marco Reus

If United need creativity, then this could be their man. Reus can play down the left, he can play down the right and he can drift into the central positions, and he's as effective in all of those roles. He can also pass as a striker, although he doesn't really have the physical presence to lead a line.

He is a player who doesn't need to be invited to have a pop at goal, he has already had 45 this season in his 20 games and hit the target with 64% of those.

He has also made 57 key passes in those outings and scored eight goals himself, which is no surprise if you have seen him play this season. He's a confident player who thrives in between the lines and he would be a huge asset to United should they manage to land his services. Imagine Reus and Mata in the same team - wow.

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Eliaquim Mangala

Another central midfielder that I think should be on the shopping list is Porto centre-back Mangala, who is still just 22. The powerful defender holds a similar physique to Phil Jones, but he's much more comfortable on the ball, which is the way United need to go I think.

He has notably quick feet despite his size and his athleticism allows him to skip away from opponents, but it is his intelligence on the pitch and his tactical awareness that has impressed me so far.

The France international also has goals in his locker, which is always handy considering their midfield isn't currently firing, but it's also something that neither Ferdinand or Evans have really offered recently, although Vidic chips in with a few.

With Mangala, Hummels, Phil Jones and Jonny Evans the choices for the central defensive positions I think that would sort them out for the short term, and also give them something to work with in the future.

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