Juventus CEO Giuseppe Marotta has blasted Paul Pogba’s agent Mino Raiola, after the latter’s bold remarks about the potential move of the 22-year-old to Barcelona. Marotta also confirmed that Juventus and Barcelona have been negotiating for months regarding the potential transfer of Pogba.
Paul Pogba’s agent Mino Raiola had earlier claimed, that the Catalan giants would first need to negotiate with him, and then with Juventus. The comments, however, seem to have not gone down nicely with the Juventus director general, Marotta, who has dismissed Raiola claim’s.
Paul Pogba is one of Europe’s most coveted midfielders, with him being on the wishlist of almost all of the top clubs, including Barcelona, Manchester City, Paris Saint Germain and Arsenal FC. Marotta also acknowledged that Juventus had rejected a ‘serious and concrete offer’ from Barcelona for the French midfielder. The Old Lady are trying to hold on to their prized asset for one more season, as they do not want to lose the midfield trio of Pirlo, Vidal and Pogba in the same transfer window.
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“Those who want Paul will have to negotiate with Juventus, not with Mino Raiola”- Giuseppe Marotta
Speaking to El Mundo Deportivo, Marotta threw some light on the ongoing negotiations between Barcelona and Juventus. He said- a Those who want Paul will have to negotiate with Juventus, not with Mino Raiola, who is only his agent.
a We’ve been negotiating with Barcelona for months, from one club to the other, in a serious and transparent manner.
a This is the right way to do business between two teams that have so much history and importance in the world of football.
a The situation is clear between Juventus and Barcelona since the meeting we had in Milan with their director of sporting institutional relations, Albert Soler, and my friend Ariedo Braida.
a Barcelona made a serious and concrete offer, but we rejected anyway.a
Barcelona likely to wait for another season
Barcelona’s pursuit of the former Manchester United midfielder is no new news, with reports of having a bid in the region of a 80 million already rejected by Juventus, who value Pogba at close to a 100 million. However, Barcelona are currently in the middle of a transfer embargo, and thus are ineligible to register any players, signed now. Even new signings Aleix Vidal and Arda Turan have to sit on the sidelines, till the end of the transfer ban on 31st December.
Juventus too are interested in holding on to Pogba for another season, having already lost Andrea Pirlo to New York City FC, while they are looking to cash in on the 28-year-old Vidal, with a deal imminent for his transfer to Bayern Munich. However, most importantly any decision on whether to sign Paul Pogba and when to sign him, will only be taken after the Barcelona Presidential election concludes on the 19th of July, and a new President is elected. An addition of the magnitude of Paul Pogba would make the already impressive Barcelona side, unstoppable.