Paul Pogba’s agent Mino Raiola has flown to England to hold talks with Manchester United as interest grows in the French midfielder.
Both Spain and Italy giants, Barcelona and his previous club Juventus, hold an interest in signing the World Cup winner as his relationship with boss Jose Mourinho has left the door ajar for a move away.
According to Mundo Deportivo, Raiola has opted to be in England for talks with United with the transfer window for the Premier League closing on Thursday, August 9.
Barcelona are starting to believe a mega deal for Manchester United star Paul Pogba is actually possible and have moved him up to the top of their ‘dream’ shortlist, according to reports in Spain.
Mundo Deportivo ran with a picture of Pogba on their front page on Thursday with the headline ‘Pogba, The Desired’. They claim new director of football Eric Abidal wants to make an impression in his new role by bringing him to the Nou Camp.
It is said that Pogba’s agent Mino Raiola offered Barcelona the deal earlier this year, but they were put off by the gigantic financial commitment it would take to prise him from Old Trafford. Barcelona are keen to add yet another marquee signing to their midfield in a bid to see Pogba link up with Philippe Coutinho and Lionel Messi further forward.
However, Barcelona have saved money by not signing Antoine Griezmann, who was expected to join for £88million this summer, and have watched with interest as Pogba’s disillusionment under Jose Mourinho has grown.
The Catalan newspaper report that Pogba would jump at the chance to leave Old Trafford for the second time in his career, and his relationship with Abidal puts Barcelona at a significant advantage to other potential suitors.
With strength, power and the ability to score goals, Pogba ticks all the boxes for Barcelona as they look to find a talismanic replacement for Andres Iniesta, who brought his long association with the club to an end this summer.
As an added bonus, Pogba would also bring with him leadership qualities as well as a wealth of experience at the top end of the game. He won the World Cup with France this summer and myriad titles with Juventus previously.
But there are significant obstacles to overcome. Manchester United would demand a huge profit on the £89m they paid to sign him in 2016. Although that was then a world-record fee, the transfer market has inflated markedly since then and they could conceivably demand double that figure.
They are also unlikely to sell without the option to reinvest in a replacement and the transfer window in England closes in a week. That leaves Barcelona with little time to broker such a huge deal.
For Juventus, the arrival of Cristiano Ronaldo for £100million makes a move unlikely but the Italians are said to be keen in reuniting with the Frenchman if the opportunity presents itself.
Mourinho and Pogba clashed a handful of times last season over what his manager felt were inconsistent performances and the early signs in pre-season is that the Portuguese looks harsher and sharper than ever.
Pogba has been enjoying his post-World Cup holiday while his beleaguered team-mates have endured a gruelling pre-season which has left Mourinho in meltdown ahead of the new campaign.
A 1-0 friendly defeat to Bayern Munich on Sunday capped off a miserable pre-season for the Reds with the squad decimated due to so many stars involvement at the World Cup in Russia.
United open the 2018-19 Premier League season on Friday at home to Leicester City but it remains unclear if Pogba, who has played no part in the club’s preparations to date, will play any part.