Man Utd set for Pogba bidding war; £62m striker sale to fund swoop

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Inter Milan have added their name to the list of suitors for Man Utd enigma Paul Pogba, with the sale of a superstar forward expected to free up the funds for the approach.

The future of Paul Pogba is projected to be one of the biggest transfer sagas of the summer.

The mercurial Frenchman, 27, has lit up the Premier League on occasion, but has often come in for heavy criticism for a perceived lack of effort and consistency.

Ex-Liverpool enforcer Graeme Souness has been one repeated detractor, with a former Reds goal machine recently telling Pogba to ‘watch Souness in 1984 European Cup final’ to see what a complete midfield performance looks like.

Despite the criticism, Pogba has attracted the attention of some of Europe’s heavy hitters, most notably Real Madrid and former club Juventus.

Pogba has been spoken highly of by fellow Frenchman Zinedine Zidane, fuelling speculation of a switch to the Bernabeu, but now the familiar face of Antonio Conte appears determined to secure the services of the Man Utd midfielder.

British newspaper the Daily Star (who cite Italian publication Tuttosport) note that the Nerazzurri have ‘joined the race’ for Pogba, with the funding required set to be provided through the sale of Mauro Icardi.

The ex-Inter captain is currently on loan at French champions PSG, and the report predicts that the option to turn the deal permanent for £62m will be taken up by the Parisians.

That will allow Conte the financial muscle to target Pogba and potentially turn the bidding war into a three-way affair.

Inter’s transfer policy since Conte’s arrival has centred on acquiring out of favour Premier League stars, and Pogba’s arrival could see him link up with a host of familiar faces including Romelu Lukaku, Ashley Young and Christian Eriksen.

The notion of selling Pogba seemed unthinkable just one year ago, but with the highly impressive immediate impact Bruno Fernandes made in the attacking midfield department prior to football’s hiatus, a sale now appears a distinct possiblity.

Meanwhile, Man Utd and Tottenham have been warned that a striker the pair are targetting could cost in excess of £100 million.