United to make opening move for Pogba
Manchester United are set to make an opening offer of €100 million (£84 million) for Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba, according to Sky Italy.
United officials are set to meet with Juventus directors and Pogba’s agent Mino Raiola on Tuesday afternoon to table the offer to the Bianconeri.
It was rumoured last week that United had agreed personal terms with the French international, with wages of around £200,000-a-week being mooted by various sources. And with Real Madrid – Pogba’s preferred choice if he were to leave Juventus – withdrawing from the race to sign the 23-year-old, it gives United a clear path to bring the midfielder back to Old Trafford.
Pogba initially joined the Reds in 2009 from French side Le Havre and it was clear that he was a special player from the start, forming a key part of the side that won the FA Youth Cup for United in 2011.
However, he left the Theatre of Dreams back in 2012 on a free transfer after a dispute between Pogba and Sir Alex Ferguson over first-team football resulted in the midfielder failing to sign a new contract with United, but now it seems that a world-record transfer fee will be enough to tempt him back to Manchester after four years in Turin.
New United manager José Mourinho spoke of his four priority targets in the transfer market earlier this month in his inaugural press conference – with Eric Bailly, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Zlatan Ibrahimovic already signed up as United manager, it seems that the Portuguese manager to close to wrapping up his final target.