United offer of £300k a week was ‘nothing’, claims Pogba
PAUL POGBA is set to complete his return to Juventus after it emerged he dismissed Manchester United’s contract offer of more than £300,000 a week as ‘nothing’.
Juve look to have won the battle to sign Pogba as a free agent following talks with his lawyer Rafaela Pimenta as the sides move closer to agreeing terms over a four-year deal.
United will lose their record £89million signing to the Italians for the second time after Sportsmail revealed Pogba cost the club nearly £1m per game during his six years back at Old Trafford and will pocket a £3.78m loyalty bonus when he officially leaves on June 30.
It would have cost United even more to keep the Frenchman, and it emerged in a preview for the new Amazon documentary about Pogba that he rejected two offers in excess of his existing £290,000-a-week deal.
The 29-year- old also confirms he was unhappy that United waited so long to propose a new deal after he first approached the club in the summer of 2019.
Filmed on The Pogmentary speaking to his agent Mino Raiola as he drives a Rolls-Royce in Miami, Pogba asks: ‘Did Manchester make a second offer?’
‘Yes,’ replies Raiola, who died in April. ‘They absolutely want you to stay. For me, the offer doesn’t reflect that. I told them, “If you want him to stay, don’t make that offer”.
‘I will make them understand that if they really want you to stay and they want to build a project around you, this time they have to act differently and put the money on the table.’
Pogba responds: ‘They’re bluffing. How can you tell a player you absolutely want him and offer him nothing? Never seen that.
‘My thought process is to show Manchester United that they made a mistake in waiting to give me a contract.’
The exchange is reminiscent of the notorious tale recounted in Ashley Cole’s 2006 autobiography, in which the former England defender admitted he ‘ nearly swerved off the road’ after his agent Jonathan Barnett said Arsenal were only willing to pay him £55,000 a week. It earned Cole the nickname Cashley.
Pogba is one of five players who are leaving United as a free agents at the end of the month, with Jesse Lingard, Juan Mata, Edinson Cavani and Nemanja Matic the others. Mason Greenwood’s future also remains uncertain following his arrest on suspicion of rape, assault and making threats to kill.
An appeal to extend Greenwood’s police bail will be heard at Manchester and Salford Magistrates Court on Wednesday.
It is understood the police investigation will continue regardless of the outcome, and Greenwood remains suspended by United.
Meanwhile, the overhaul of the club under new chief executive Richard Arnold and football director John Murtough continued yesterday with changes to key academy personnel.
FA Youth Cup-winning coach Travis Binnion has taken over as head of player development and coaching, replacing Justin Cochrane, who has left to become first-team coach at Brentford.
Mark Dempsey has been put in charge of the Under 23s and Paul McShane becomes professional development phase coach.