Almost a year after the French World Cup winner first stated his intention to leave Manchester United, reports in Spain claim that he is about to get his wish.
Real Madrid are confident of securing a cut-price deal for Paul Pogba in the upcoming summer transfer window, if reports in Spain are to be believed.
The 27-year-old midfielder was expected to complete a switch to Real last summer, whose manager Zinedine Zidane is an outspoken admirer of the Frenchman.
But after United revealed that they value the playmaker at £185m, no potential suitors of Pogba came forward with an offer and the Frenchman ended up staying put at Old Trafford.
According to a report by Spanish publication AS, Real are confident of securing a cut-price deal for the Frenchman for two specific reasons.
The first of those reasons has to do with the player’s contractual situation at United. Pogba would be entering the final year of his contract with the Red Devils this summer and has given no signs that he plans to sign an extension.
His current contract with United has a clause that allows the club to extend his stay at the side by one year. But with the player reportedly unwilling to stay beyond this summer, it is highly unlikely that United would activate the clause on their own.
Consequently, even though the Red Devils have contacted Raiola to discuss the option of a contract renewal, the higher-ups at Los Blancos are confident that the player would be wearing Real’s jersey come the start of next season.
The second reason why Real are confident of landing Pogba without having to break the bank is the player’s poor relationship with the Old Trafford club.
His strained relations with the club were all to see when, before the start of the last campaign, Pogba went public with his desire to leave the Premier League outfit.
That United were in the middle of their pre-season tour back then didn’t stop the Frenchman from indicating his desire to get a move out was a big enough indication that all was not well between the player and his current employers.
What’s more, while almost a year has passed since Pogba gave that statement, his agent has continued to reiterate that his client would be better off elsewhere. That indicates that the player’s heart might still be set on securing a move away from the Premier League.
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