Juventus superstar Paul Pogba reportedly rejected advances from Manchester City earlier in last year’s summer transfer window.
Paul Pogba has been linked with a move back to boyhood club Manchester United throughout the summer and is reportedly very close to joining the club in a world-record transfer. But, Spanish publication Marca have claimed that rivals Manchester City had earlier contacted Juventus and the player’s agent, Mino Raiola with a view to securing a move for the midfield maestro.
The report sensationally claims that Pogba could well have joined Manchester United’s rivals City last summer, but that the Citizens were late with the offer. It is reported that Guardiola’s side had approached Juventus and Mino Raiola in August 2015 to secure a move for Paul Pogba. The move was only rejected by Paul Pogba on the grounds that the Frenchman had already started training with Juventus and and decided to stay with the Bianconeri for another year.
What followed was a magnificent year for Pogba as a Juventus player with the team winning the domestic double. The Frenchman was impressive for Juventus in the Serie A notching up 8 goals and 12 assists to his name (stats via whoscored). The 23-year-old was also the highest-rated player in the whole league and bossed the midfield for the Bianconeri (stats via whoscored). Pogba carried his club form into the Euro 2016 and played a crucial role in the hosts’ final run which ended up in a 1-0 extra-time defeat at the hands of maiden champions, Portugal.
Paul Pogba’s future has been under speculation all summer with media reports continuously linking him to Real Madrid and Manchester United. Zinedine Zidane’s club have reportedly withdrawn their interest in the Frenchman in the wake of the world-record transfer fee asked by Juventus. It seems likely that the 23-year-old will complete a move back to Manchester United in the coming days.
The Old Trafford faithful, though, would heave a sigh of relief that Manchester City were late with their offer last summer and did not get their hands on their academy product, who is likely to become the most expensive signing ever in the history of football, if and when he completes a move to United.
