Euro giant mount charge to land Man Utd ace who’s ‘open’ to moving, as first offer spells trouble
Man Utd ace Paul Pogba is ‘open’ to re-joining Juventus who have made him their summer priority, though their first offer could be sign of things to come, per multiple reports.
The Frenchman, 28, is tracking to leave Old Trafford for the second time this summer. Pogba’s contract expires at the end of June and at present, there is little indication he will sign a new deal.
That’s despite a claim Man Utd are keen on re-signing the midfielder whose time in Manchester has been categorised by inconsistency.
Italian outlet Calciomercato (via JuveFC), claim United ‘want him to stay’. Whether Pogba has done enough to warrant a fresh contract is open to debate.
But given the lack of high end quality from their other midfield options including Fred and Nemanja Matic, losing the French ace could be seen as a step backward for the club.
Yet according to Calciomercato, that is exactly what could transpire when the season concludes. They state former club Juventus have installed Pogba as their ‘main transfer target’.
Pogba rose to prominence in Turin during a trophy-laden spell between 2012-16. His performances in black and white were of a high enough level to convince Man Utd to splash out a club-record £89.3m six years ago.
Juventus shed weight in midfield last month when signing only Denis Zakaria to replace Rodrigo Bentancur and Aaron Ramsey. A Pogba return thus makes sense on multiple levels for the Serie A heavyweight with Juve’s midfield now a man light.
Pogba offer a sign of things to come
However, a second report from TribalFootball (citing French outlet Le 10 Sport), has hinted there is trouble on the horizon.
They claim Juventus are ‘struggling’ to muster the finances required to re-sign Pogba. That’s despite his free agent move not requiring a transfer fee.
The main issue thus stems from Pogba’s high salary. It’s reported Pogba is ‘open’ to moving back to Turin, but the club’s ‘opening contract proposal fell well short’ of Pogba’s current salary.
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Pogba is stated to be earning €15m-a-year with United (approx. £240,000). Other outlets have regularly put that figure closer to £300,000-a-week.
Regardless, Juventus are stated to have offered less than half of those amounts with their first proposal – approximately £112,500-a-week.
Such a large discrepancy could be a sign Pogba’s future could drag on late into the summer. It could also open the door for another suitor, with the report concluding Pogba’s agent Mino Raiola has also been in contact with PSG.
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Livramento to Man Utd or back to Chelsea?
Meanwhile, a report has provided an update on the future of Tino Livramento, amid interest from Manchester United and links with former club Chelsea.
Livramento was one of Chelsea’s prized starlets, winning the Academy Player of the Year award in 2020-21. But the Blues soon came under pressure to keep hold of him as he refused to pen a new deal at Stamford Bridge.
Southampton ultimately won the transfer race by paying Chelsea £5m for his signature. They also tied the exciting right-back down to a long-term contract.
The Sun reveal all the latest details on Livramento, amid reported interest from United. Calciomercato recently put the defender on the Red Devils’ wish list, but The Sun debunk that theory.
They claim interest from United officials is ‘premature’ as the youngster is yet to even play a full Premier League season. Chelsea, meanwhile, have history with re-signing former players, and £97.5m striker Romelu Lukaku is a prime example.
The report adds that the Blues included a buy-back clause when selling Livramento to the south coast outfit. They can get him back for £38m after the end of the 2022-23 campaign.
