Paul Pogba Transfer News: Barcelona, Chelsea, Bayern Munich To Make Big Push For Juventus Star?
Juventus superstar Paul Pogba certainly said all the right things in a recent interview regarding his future with the Serie A titans, but the fact remains he could very well be on the move in the next year.
Speaking with Juventus TV last week, the 22-year-old said he wanted to “win everything” with Juve claiming he understood what an honor it was to receive the esteemed No. 10 shirt.
"I want to win the Ballon d'Or, the Champions League and the World Cup," Pogba said. "I want to win everything.
"Juve are the club who really showed belief in me as a youngster and helped me develop into the player I am today. It was here where I scored my first goal as a professional and was given the opportunity to prove myself in competitive action every week, so for that reason Juventus will always be close to my heart."
But French attacking midfielder's comments, coupled with Juve’s current standing in Italy’s top league, will likely do little to assuage the likes of Manchester City, Chelsea, Barcelona, and Bayern Munich -- all clubs linked to him in the last few weeks alone.
Under contract until 2019, and with an £70 million to £100-million valuation floating aroudn the market, it’s clear Pogba’s stated desires can’t begin to equal the demand outside of Italy as Juve sits in seventh place on the Serie A table. An exorbitant fee for a talented player on the cusp of reaching his prime years could certainly fetch Juve enough to quickly regroup and dominate Italy once again.
And while the club along with manager Massimiliano Allegri have helped Pogba grow his considerable talents, he could be reaching the point of his career where he’s too big for the Italian stage and could seek a grander, more challenging league. Pogba’s helped Juve capture three of their four straight domestic titles with 22 goals over 101 appearances, meaning there’s little left to accomplish with the Old Lady.
If anything, Pogba’s comments only served to push back his potential departure from January to next summer. While Juve’s slipping on the domestic front, they can still use Pogba for a deep Champions League run as they’re either two draws or one victory away from qualifying for the final 16, a round that's historically proven anything can happen.
And every club linked to Pogba understands a winter transfer won’t help their desires for Champions League glory. Per rules, Pogba would not be allowed to compete for any team remaining in Europe’s top tournament, making his acquisition largely unnecessary until after the current season ends.
But when the summer rolls around there figures to be a feeding frenzy for Pogba’s services. Barcelona have stood as the frontrunner for quite some time, with Express reporting last week that the Catalans were his desired destination despite Chelsea apparently ready to over £71 million. With lead playmaker Andres Iniesta turning 32 in May, it would certainly make sense for Pogba to join a midfield that has plenty of passing options in Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar.
Nevertheless, the Blues, City, and Bayern Munich all have the funds to match or better Barcelona, though Bayern seem the least likely of the group given their acquisition of former Pogba teammate Arturo Vidal last summer.
Pogba’s agent, Mino Railo, left the door open for another year with the Old Lady, but just like his client, the comments should be taken lightly by Juve supporters.
"We said no to several teams, and continue to move forward, judging the moment," Raiola said about offers last summer. "We can't say that Pogba will leave after this season, he could stay another year at Juventus.
"We don't have a pre-agreement with anyone."
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