Pogba keen to leave United for Barcelona
Napoli signs Malcuit from Lille
LONDON, Aug 8, (Agencies): France World Cup star Paul Pogba is determined to end his fractious relationship with Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho and move to Barcelona, according to British media reports on Wednesday.
The 25-year-old – who scored in the 4-2 World Cup final win over Croatia – has agreed to terms with Barcelona for a deal worth £89.5 million ($115 million, 100 million euros) over five years, according to the Daily Mail. The reported agreement would see him pick up £346,000 a week, almost double what he earns at United.
The Sun claims the former Juventus star – who joined United for a then world-record fee of £89 million in 2016 – has demanded the Premier League side increase his wages from £180,000 to £380,000 a week so he is paid almost on a par with Chilean star Alexis Sanchez, otherwise he will leave.
United, though, would be most reluctant to sell him, with the Daily Mail reporting they have already rejected a bid by Barcelona of £44.5 million plus Colombian central defender Yerry Mina and Portuguese midfielder Andre Gomes.
Mourinho has expressed his frustration over the club’s transfer policy, and Pogba’s departure would leave little time for executive chairman Ed Woodward to find a suitable replacement with the Premier League transfer window due to close on Thursday.
In this file photo, Manchester United’s French midfielder Paul Pogba controls the ball during the English Premier League football match between Brighton and Hove Albion and Manchester United at the American Express Community Stadium in Brighton, southern England on
May 4, 2018. (AFP)
Mee featured in 29 league matches last season as the club finished seventh in the standings and earned their slot in the Europa League. His new contract follows the close-season signings of Ben Gibson, Joe Hart and Matej Vydra ahead of England’s transfer deadline on Thursday.
Spanish winger Adama Traore became Premier League new boys Wolverhampton Wanderers’ fifth signing of the close season on Wednesday after joining from second-tier Middlesbrough.
The 22-year-old, capped by Spain at various age groups up to Under-21 level, signed a five-year contract for a reported fee of £18 million ($23 million, 20 million euros). Traore came through the Barcelona academy before signing for Aston Villa in 2015 where he spent a season, but fell out of favour and decamped to Middlesbrough.
He enjoyed a successful season last term, despite Middlesbrough falling short of a Premier League return in the play-offs, scoring five times and providing 10 assists.
Traore joins Portugal’s Euro 2016 winning duo, goalkeeper Rui Patricio and midfielder Joao Moutinho, Jonny Castro Otto and Raul Jimenez as new faces in manager Nuno Espirito Santo’s squad.
Wolves finished top of the Championship last season to return to the elite after a six-year absence.
Burnley have signed Czech forward Matej Vydra from secondtier side Derby on a three-year deal, the Premier League club announced on Tuesday.
The 26-year-old, who scored a league-leading 21 goals in the Championship last season, will be hoping to have a bigger impact on the English top flight than he did in previous disappointing spells in the Premier League with Watford and West Brom. Burnley, who have already signed centre-back Ben Gibson from Middlesbrough and former England goalkeeper Joe Hart from Manchester City in the close season, did not disclose how much they paid for Vydra.
Vydra has made 20 international appearances for the Czech Republic, scoring five goals. Sean Dyche’s Burnley take on Istanbul Basaksehir in Turkey on Thursday in Europa League qualifying, before kicking off their Premier League campaign at Southampton on Sunday.
Juventus’ Croatia winger Marko Pjaca has left the Serie A champions to join rivals Fiorentina on a one-year loan for a fee of two million euros ($2.32 million), the clubs said on Tuesday.
Fiorentina have the option to make the 23-year-old’s move permanent for 20 million euros at the end of the season, Juve said in a statement on the Italian stock exchange. The Croatia international, capped 19 times, played in the World Cup final defeat by France as an 81st minute substitute. He played three matches at the Russia finals, starting against Iceland and coming on versus Nigeria in the group stage.