Today’s Premier League transfer news includes PSG plotting to offload players to sign Paul Pogba, Manchester United trying to tempt Leon Goretzka away from Bayern Munich, and Tottenham bringing in Bryan Gil from Sevilla and sending Erik Lamela the other way…
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PSG raising funds to sign Pogba (at a discount)
Pogba is reportedly the top target (once again) for PSG, as the Ligue 1 side prepares to sell a handful of players to raise the $70 million they believe will be required to sign him from Manchester United.
With just one year remaining on his current deal at Old Trafford, Pogba will effectively decide his long-term future over the next six weeks, from now until the end of the summer transfer window. If the 28-year-old accepts a new contract offer from Manchester United, obviously he stays.
But according to a fresh report from our partners in the UK at Sky Sports, Pogba is ‘increasingly unlikely’ to sign a new contract at United, and that has given PSG hope of pulling off a deal for the French superstar.
If he rejects all offers from the Red Devils, he’s almost certain to leave the club. Ideally, Pogba and Manchester United will answer question no. 1 with plenty of time to spare before deadline day, so as to work out a deal for the club to net a still-significant transfer fee (lest he goes to PSG for nothing in 12 months) and for Pogba to secure the final mega-contract of his prime years, as he rightly should do.
Time’s ticking.
UPDATE: Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has revealed that the club is engaged in active negotiations with Pogba — quotes from Goal.com:“Talks are ongoing between Paul’s representative and the club representatives. All the dialogue I’ve had with Paul is that he’s looking forward to the season.”
…
“Always speculation about Paul and there’s always clubs being interested and of course we’ve seen Paul at his best and Paul knows what we feel about it and I’ve enjoyed my time working with him and hopefully we can work together.”
Manchester United make pre-"offer” to Goretzka
Speaking of Manchester United and midfielders with one year left on their contract, Bayern Munich star Leon Goretzka is reportedly one long-term answer to the question, “Who replaces Pogba if/when he leaves?”
Like Pogba, Goretzka has 12 months remaining on his contract, yet Manchester United are already said to be in contact with the 26-year-old’s representatives to make an unofficial “offer"-to-be. By allegedly putting a theoretical future offer on the metaphorical table, Manchester United are, effectively, bidding directly against Bayern Munich to win Goretzka’s next contract: either he re-signs and begins said deal now, or he declines and the five-year terms begins a year from now.
An interesting twist: If Manchester United are able to pre-agree a pre-agreement on a pre-contract deal with Goretzka, signing him for no transfer fee next summer would effectively offset the loss of fee if Pogba were to leave on a free transfer at the same time. Even with certain assurances, it’s a risky play that could go sideways on them at any point in the next six months, but signing Goretzka could be the kind of transformational move that helps put Manchester United back atop the Premier League hierarchy.
[ MORE: Transfer news: Ben White to Arsenal; Varane to Manchester United ]
Bale has MLS offer, wants to stay at Real Madrid
Bale is said to have offers from multiple MLS sides to move stateside this summer, but the 32-year-old has instead reportedly decided to see out the final 12 months of his Real Madrid contract before moving on next summer, when virtually the same offers (heavily reduced from his $42-million-per-year contract in Madrid) will still be on the table.
Real Madrid agreed to pay Bale that much money for that long of a period, and he would like to collect it. All of it.
Gil to Tottenham, Lamela to Sevilla in swap deal
UPDATE: The deal is complete. Tottenham have confirmed Gil’s arrival to north London, just as Sevilla have done with Lamela.
The life of Bryan. pic.twitter.com/Ds3IPhsH3A
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) July 26, 2021
Erik Lamela is set to leave Tottenham Hotspur as part of a reported swap deal for Spanish midfielder Bryan Gil. Tottenham will also include close to $30 million along with with Lamela, who leaves with one year left on his contract and eight years after he arrived as part of the windfall of cash following — you guessed it — Bale’s move to Real Madrid.
Gil spent the 2020-21 season on loan to Eibar, who were relegated from La Liga, where he scored four goals and assisted three others.