Manchester United Set to Make Official Bid for Paul Pogba
Manchester United are set to make an official bid for Paul Pogba, according to Sky Italy.
It is understood United will make an opening offer of around £87m (104m Euros) for the France international midfielder.
Officials from the club are due to meet Juventus directors and the 23-year-old’s agent Mino Raiola, although the Italian club are keen to renew Pogba’s deal with them.
Raiola is currently based in Empoli, while Pogba is away on holiday and will return to Turin on August 6.
Sky Italy report that Pogba has already agreed personal terms of a salary of £10.92m (13m Euros) a year, and his path to Old Trafford was seemingly cleared last week when Real Madrid withdrew from the race for his signature.
He left Old Trafford on a free transfer in 2012 but could be set to return this summer in a potentially world-record transfer, with negotiations over a deal understood to have begun earlier this month.
New United boss Jose Mourinho recently spoke of four priority targets in the transfer window and playmaker Henrikh Mkhitaryan’s capture marked their third acquisition following the arrivals of Zlatan Ibrahimovic and centre-back Eric Bailly.
Pogba was a key player as France reached the final of Euro 2016 earlier this month, although they were beaten 1-0 by Portugal.
Sky Sports pundit Thierry Henry feels a move to England for Pogba would be hugely beneficial to the Premier League.
“We all know about the quality, how good he is on the ball,” Henry said. “He’s an all-round player but he understood his role at the tournament [Euro 2016].
“Hopefully he can come back to the Premier League – it would be great for us and for whoever got him but he’s still a Juve player and they’re not going to let him go [easily].”