Manchester United have already tabled an offer to bring Juventus star Paul Pogba back to Old Trafford this summer, if reports from England are to be believed.
The Frenchman has become one of the best midfielders in Europe after four successful seasons at Juventus. Pogba had in fact left Manchester United after not being promised first team football at Old Trafford in 2012. He had let his contract run out, before joining Juventus on a free transfer.
However, former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has always been an admirer of the 23 year old. He is said to believe that Pogba’s agent Mino Raiola had influenced the player to make the move away from Manchester United.
However, the Red Devils are now ready to bring Pogba back to Old Trafford, and have even made a “firm offer” for the Frenchman, writes Sunday Times journalist Duncan Charles in One World Sports. Charles also suggests in his report that Ligue 1 giants PSG have also made an offer for Pogba.
Pogba has also been linked with a move to Spain, with Barcelona being reportedly close to signing him for €80 million. However, a massive salary demand of €12 million a year by Pogba’s agent Raiola seems to have put off the Catalan club, have had to tighten their finances after losing a sponsorship deal.
The fact that Brazilian star Neymar has demanded higher wages is another reason why Barcelona might be out of the race to sign Pogba at the moment. Reports also suggest that manager Luis Enrique is looking to sign defenders instead of midfielders at the moment.
Champions League an issue for Pogba
Although he has won the Serie A four consecutive times with Juventus, Pogba says that he is nowhere near to being a Ballon d’Or contender. He has openly admitted that winning big tournaments like the upcoming Euro 2016, the Champions League and the World Cup will take him closer to Ballon d’Or greatness.
“I don’t think I am a great; I think I’ve done nothing,” Pogba said to ESPN. “I’ve done nothing in soccer. I’ve won leagues, but I haven’t won the Champions League, the World Cup, the Euros.
However, Manchester United cannot offer the Frenchman Champions League football next season, as they have failed to qualify for the competition. This makes it a bit more difficult for Manchester United to sign the star midfielder. It will be interesting to see what it takes for the Red Devils to convince one of the best midfielders in the world to move to a non-Champions League team.
