As the European Championship winds down, the mooted transfer of French midfielder Paul Pogba has taken a life of its own. Jose Mourinho hinted at his inaugural Manchester United press conference that he was targeting one more player. (Henrikh Mkhitaryan aside).
According to the Sunday Times’ Duncan Castles, a journalist with close ties to the Mourinho/Mendes camp it’ll cost about £110m to sign Paul Pogba. If United follow through, nearly a quarter of the fee will end up in the hands of Mino Raiola, the agent who persuaded the young Frenchman to leave Old Trafford on a free in 2012. Raiola is also agent to the likes of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Mario Balotelli, Romelu Lukaku and Henrikh Mkhitaryan.
It is believed Juventus expect to make for themselves €100m (£85.4m), matching the record sum Real Madrid paid Tottenham for Gareth Bale three summers ago. The additional €30m (£25.6m) demanded of United derives from a 30% sell-on fee negotiated by Pogba’s agent, Mino Raiola, upon moving to Juve. It would represent one of the highest ever payments to an intermediary.
Pogba’s asking price stands at more than three times the highest fee a Mourinho club has paid for a player at his request.
The transfer fee — exacerbated by the collapse in the Sterling’s value following the Brexit vote —allows United a clear run at the player whose only other plausible suitor, Real Madrid are expected to fall short. Pogba, it is believed is not seen as a natural fit for Madrid president Florentio Perez’s Galactico requirements, and the sums being bandied will see them stop short of meeting Juventus and Raiola’s valuation.
Pogba’s agent has also been seeking an after-tax salary of more than £10m a year for his client.