Man City, Real Madrid, Barcelona and PSG all keen on the in-demand midfielder
Manchester City are in danger of missing out on one of their top summer transfer targets – Paul Pogba, it has emerged.
The Citizens have been linked with the Juventus starlet, and were seemingly among the favourites to sign the French international, with the Daily Mirror reporting that Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Paris Saint Germain have all joined the queue to sign him.
Pogba, aged 22, helped his side to the Italian double, and netted eleven times last term, as Juventus also reached the European Cup Final in Berlin, losing to Barcelona in the showpiece.
After signing on a free-transfer from Manchester United in the summer of 2012 – Pogba has gone onto become one of the most sought-after players in the European game, as Juventus ready themselves for bids this summer.
His form for the Turin outfit has seen him win many admirers, with arguably the four richest clubs in the world all now in the running for his prized signature.
Paul Pogba: A wanted man
Barcelona claim that they have held talks with Pogba and his agent – so too have their La Liga rivals Real Madrid.
Agusti Benedito, who is a presidential candidate at Barcelona, promised to secure Pogba’s transfer to the Nou Camp, should he win the election at the Catalan giants, who are under a transfer embargo until 2016.
“I have spoken to Pogba,” said Benedito. “First, I contacted Juventus chairman Andrea Agnelli, then spoke directly with the player.
“They have proposed an annual salary of £8.6m after tax and a transfer fee of £57m.”
French Champions, PSG, are also entering the fight for Pogba, and are ready to pay him £12m a year, for him to make a return to his homeland, to link up with the Parisians.
However, the general director of the Turin club, Giuseppe Marotta, claims that Pogba doesn’t want to leave Juventus this summer, in an interview with Tuttosport.
“I reiterate we don’t want to sell Pogba and he has said today that he doesn’t want to leave.
City’s alternative?
Should Manuel Pellegrini miss-out on the signing of Pogba, then City are likely to submit another bid for Liverpool’s Raheem Sterling, or Wolfsburg wide-man, Kevin De Bruyne.
By Ben Reardon
