Jose Mourinho is playing it cool when it comes to Paul Pogba and the rampant speculation about him joining Manchester United.
Multiple reports say Pogba, 23, has told Juventus he wants to leave and now the two clubs are haggling over a price.
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Yesterday it was reported that United offered $113 million up front and an extra $18 million in add-ons but Juve rejected that offer and want $131 million up front with an extra $12 million in add-ons.
If that’s the case then Pogba would become the most expensive player in history if he returned to United, the club he left in 2012 for a $1.2 million compensation fee.
Mourinho, speaking at a press conference on United’s tour of China, was coy on Pogba signing for him.“I don’t confirm and I don’t deny. I cannot tell. First of all because I don’t think it’s correct to speak about players from other clubs. He’s a Juventus player, not a Manchester United player,” Mourinho said. “The only thing I can say is that my board, my directors, did a fantastic job to do 75% of the job I asked them to do.
“We know the profile of the player we want, we have three faces who fit the profile. I am really confident Mr Woodward and the owners can get the profile of the player I think the squad needs.”
Early today Pogba’s agent, Mino Raola, has also took to Twitter to dismiss reports saying a deal for his client has been agreed between Juventus and United.
There is no deal done regarding Paul Pogba, lots of bla bla bla.
— Mino Raiola (@MinoRaiola) July 21, 2016
United are clearly looking for a central midfielder to finish off their summer of spending. Mourinho has already spent over $85 million with central defender Eric Bailly and playmaker Henrikh Mkhitaryan arriving, plus Zlatan Ibrahimovic also coming in on a free transfer.
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Pogba has won four-straight Serie A titles with Juventus since arriving from United in 2012. He has become a star man in midfield for the Italian powerhouse and the French national team and after Real Madrid dropped out of the race for his signature, he has two options: stay at Juve or head back to United.
With no UEFA Champions League action next season, that will be a blow for Pogba, but given Mourinho’s aggressive spending so far this summer and perhaps a chance to prove himself at Old Trafford after not getting much playing time under Sir Alex Ferguson, the carrot of a huge $15 million per season pay day must be dangling in front of Pogba’s face in a tempting manner.