Pranav Nair
Transfer News: Manchester United place a £55million asking price for Paul Pogba
According to The Mirror (h/t The Express), Manchester United have placed a valuation of just £55million on French superstar Paul Pogba heading into the summer transfer window.
It represents taking a significant hit on a player who was signed for a club record fee of £89m in 2016. The 28-year-old has a year to go on his current deal and United have to make a decision sooner or later.
Pogba’s situation has drawn interest from both Juventus and Real Madrid. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is keen for the player to stay but the United board do not necessarily think the same way.
The quoted amount is still hefty considering the financial aftershocks of the coronavirus pandemic. Neither Juventus nor Real Madrid are in a position to go big in the summer.
Juve also face an uphill battle in their attempt to qualify for next season’s Champions League. Missing out would further strain their financial standing.
The United board is vexed with the player’s wage demands and have baulked at the £400,000-a-week package that he wants. Agreeing to it will make him the highest-paid player at the club.
The longer the negotiations are drawn out, the more we give Pogba and his agent Mino Raiola the advantage. The prospect of losing him for free next year is a sobering prospect.
Just 28, the Frenchman is in the prime of his career and is on his day one of the best players in world football. Losing him for nothing would be nothing short of a catastrophe.
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Pogba’s exit could see United look to lure Aston Villa skipper Jack Grealish to Old Trafford. The English ace has been one of the best midfielders in the Premier League this season.
