Manchester United are eager to sign Paul Pogba, and have even tabled an £80 million bid for the Juventus midfielder, if reports from the English media are to be believed.
Juventus’ Paul Pogba is the hottest prospect in world of football at the moment, and there are few clubs that can match the price tag that the Bianconeri have slapped on the Frenchman. Manchester United are among those few and they look to have stormed ahead of Real Madrid in their pursuit for the talented 22-year-old, who was once a part of the Red Devils’s youth set-up before leaving as a free agent to Juventus.
Real Madrid are yet to make their first signing under Zinedine Zidane and are fighting hard to complete a deal that could make Pogba their most expensive signing ever. However, English newspaper The Telegraph claim that Manchester United are now the favourites to land the Frenchman, as they have already tabled an £80 million bid for Pogba. Meanwhile, the Los Blancos are not prepared to pay more than £60 million for the Frenchman, according to The Telegraph’s report.
Juventus have stated that they will not let Pogba leave for anything under €120 million (£100 million). However, the subsequent player and agent demands could imply that a potential suitor for the Frenchman will have to stump up well in excess of €160 million (£130 million), if they are to acquire his services.
Florentino Perez ‘cynical’ over Pogba’s ability
Pogba’s mercurial rise to international prominence at Juventus has left many, and at the very least Manchester United, stumped and spellbound by his potential but it seemingly hasn’t pleased Real Madrid President Florentino Perez.
Perez has never been the biggest admirer of the Frenchman and Madrid are reportedly in the race to sign the midfielder only due to the presence of manager Zinedine Zidane, who believes Pogba could take the Los Blancos to the next level.
The billionaire owner’s cynicism regarding Pogba could work to Manchester United’s advantage in their pursuit for the signing, with Jose Mourinho keen on bringing the midfielder back to Old Trafford.
Pogba – An invaluable addition to the Red Devil’s midfield
There is no questioning the 23-year-old’s ability at the moment, as he is creating waves with Juventus in the Serie A and also internationally with Les Bleus. He would be a gargantuan upgrade on United’s existing class of servicemen in midfield.
Fellow countryman Morgan Schneiderlin hasn’t had the greatest time at the club since arriving from Southampton last year and with an injury-prone Bastian Schweinsteiger, an inconsistent Marouane Fellaini, an ageing Michael Carrick and Ander Herrera the only other options to go with Wayne Rooney, there is no doubt about the kind of quality Pogba would bring to Mourinho’s set up.
Pogba doesn’t have the fondest memories of his earlier spell at Old Trafford, when he graced the youth ranks during Sir Alex Ferguson’s reign. The midfielder wasn’t given substantial opportunities by the manager to prove his worth and he subsequently left in 2012.
Following what would be one of the most glaring errors by the Scottish manager, Pogba sealed his switch to Turin and has since then built his reputation as one of the best in the business. He may have bitter feelings about his time at the Theatre of Dreams, but with Mourinho at the helm of affairs, a return to the club might turn out to be in the best interests of the player.
A big-money move to Manchester United would undoubtedly prove to be a tempting prospect, but Pogba will miss out on Champions League football in the 2016-17 campaign, as the club only managed to secure Europa League qualification in their last season. You have to lose something to gain something, and it would be interesting to see whether the highly rated Frenchman is ready to bid adieu to the Old Lady.
