Real Madrid have been linked with a move for Manchester United‘s Paul Pogba over the past two months or so, and it seems like the Spanish giants are still keen on the World Cup-winning French midfielder.
Spanish outlet AS have reported that Madrid are keen on signing the Frenchman, but they will have to sell a few players, most notably Gareth Bale and James Rodriguez, to generate the funds to sign Pogba, with the two of them commanding a combined fee of around €100 million or more.
Other players who could be sold to make the Pogba deal happen are Mariano Díaz, Borja Mayoral, and Lucas Vázquez, who could bring in a combined fee of around €60 million.
Further, the AS claim that Pogba is valued over €100 million, but recent reports have indicated that the Red Devils will demand nearer to €200 million for the French midfielder. Madrid, though, could pay a fee of around €150 million for him.
Pogba fuelled speculation of an exit from Old Trafford when he admitted to reporters in June that he wants a new challenge away from Old Trafford, with Real Madrid keen admirers of the 26-year-old.
What should Man United’s play be in the Pogba-Marid transfer battle?
Unlike the previous time that Pogba wanted to leave Manchester United, back in 2012, the English club hold all the cards as he still has two years remaining on his contract at Old Trafford with United having the option to extend it by another year. This allows the Red Devils to stick a huge price tag on the Frenchman.
Despite the criticism levelled at him over the last season, Pogba is still the best midfielder in the team and possibly the best player at the club and losing him will weaken the side significantly.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer should only sanction Pogba’s sale if they get a big transfer fee for him, upwards of €100 million, as well as a replacement lined up for him.
The Red Devils should also ensure that the deal to sign him is done well in advance of August 8th, which is the last day of the summer transfer window for Premier League sides. This will give United ample time to sign a replacement as well as prepare for the new season.
Selling Pogba after the English transfer window shuts (the Spanish transfer window shuts only on September 2nd) will be a terrible move as Manchester United will not have signed a replacement while it will also affect their season due to the disruption caused by such a big move.
Losing Pogba will be a big blow for Manchester United as he is one of the few world-class players in the United squad. But if the Frenchman has made up his mind to leave the club, Solskjaer and co. must facilitate his move to Real Madrid as it is not a wise decision to keep an unhappy player in the squad.