Real Madrid stall Paul Pogba interest over wage demands
According to the Daily Mail, Real Madrid believe signing Manchester United star Paul Pogba could cause dressing room discontentment at the club.
The French midfielder has been consistently linked with a move to the Santiago Bernebeu with Zinedine Zidane a huge fan. However, the player’s £15million net wages per season at United is proving to be a stumbling block.
The Spanish giants are not immune to the effects of the coronavirus. Real’s players have already taken one pay cut. With such uncertainty surrounding the club’s finances, they are concerned about how players will react to signing Pogba and meeting his current wages.
A swap deal involving multiple players would help Real Madrid trim their squad. In spite of that, the 27-year-old’s wages still remain a massive stumbling block.
Casemiro is closing in on a new deal at Madrid that will last up to 2023. This contract extension is believed to be in line with the new reality at the club.
With captain Sergio Ramos also set to enter the final year of his contract soon, Real are yet to offer a new contract.
According to the report, the duo would lead the complaints if Madrid splurged on Pogba and cut back on others. Zidane could be overruled by Fiorentino Perez, who holds the power at the club.
Madrid are already repaying a loan taken out for the ongoing stadium renovation. Repayable over 30 years, they could end up repaying around £719million.
They have so far failed to find a naming-rights partner to sponsor the stadium. The financial uncertainty caused by the coronavirus crisis will only make that task more difficult.
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The Spanish giants are also keen on PSG wonder-kid Kylian Mbappe. They would be willing to bin their pay structure for Mbappe but not for Pogba.
With much anticipation surrounding the Pogba-Bruno Fernandes partnership, the Frenchman’s time at Old Trafford may not be done yet.
