POGBA OFFERED TO PSG
United star considers his options with Mourinho ready to let him go
PAUL Pogba has been offered to Paris Saint-Germain by his agent Mino Raiola as Manchester United’s record signing considers his options.
Sportsmail revealed that Jose Mourinho is prepared to let Pogba go this summer just two years after the Frenchman returned to Old Trafford from Juventus for £89million (RM492 million).
Pogba has struggled to live up to expectations while his relationship with Mourinho has grown increasingly fractious in recent months.
Pep Guardiola revealed earlier this month that Raiola offered Pogba to Manchester City in January, and it’s understood that the Italian agent has also made contact with PSG over the possibility of a summer move as he hawks the player around Europe’s top teams.
However, it’s unclear if the French club would be able to sign Pogba while facing allegations of breaching UEFA’s Financial Fair Play rules over their acquisition of Neymar and Kylian Mbappe for a combined £365m.
Real Madrid and Barcelona are two other options, but it’s believed there has been little interest from Spain so far.
That would leave City, Chelsea and, possibly, Juventus among the clubs capable of affording Pogba’s transfer fee and personal terms.
The 25-year-old currently earns in excess of £200,000-aweek including image rights, and he will receive a loyalty bonus of £3.46m this summer plus a pay rise of £1.875m if United qualify for the Champions League.
Raiola, who pocketed £41.39m from Pogba’s move to United, did not deny offering the player to City following Guardiola’s revelation.
“I never spoke to him,” said Raiola earlier this month. “I offer players not to him but to Manchester City, which is a fantastic club with a fantastic manager.
“Who I talk about, I will not comment. I leave that to the club’s responsibility and account.”
Raiola’s relationship with Mourinho and United is not as strong as it was since his other star clients Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Henrikh Mkhitaryan left Old Trafford. That just leaves Pogba and goalkeeper Sergio Romero who has also been linked with a move away from the club.
Mourinho will also have to convince Ed Woodward if he wants to offload Pogba. The Old Trafford chief would be reluctant to admit the move has failed after seeing other high-profile stars like Angel Di Maria and Radamel Falcao flop at United in recent years.
It’s understood that the club’s hierarchy would prefer not to sell Pogba this summer because they already have to sign two central midfielders to replace Michael Carrick and Marouane Fellaini.
United had scouts in Austria last week to watch Lazio’s Sergej Milinkovic-Savic in Europa League action against RB Leipzig.
Fred, of Shakhtar Donetsk, Real Madrid’s Toni Kroos, Chelsea midfielder Willian and Tottenham’s Victor Wanyama are among the candidates under consideration.
Mourinho’s list of players who could be released this summer includes Pogba, Anthony Martial, Matteo Darmian and Daley Blind.
Darmian is almost certain to return to Italy with Juventus, and admitted on Tuesday that he is tempted by the move.
“I’m living a great experience here in England, and I’d say yes to United again,” he said.
“I won several trophies here but I miss Italy. Let’s see what happens at the end of the season.”
Juve have also been linked with Martial, who is attracting interest from Bayern Munich and Barcelona.