Manchester United transfer news and rumours: £100m Paul Pogba bid 'ready' with no offer made for Blaise Matuidi

The latest transfer rumours surrounding Old Trafford

Jack de Menezes

Thursday 07 July 2016 08:33 BST

Paul Pogba could be the subject of a world record £100m transfer bid from Manchester United (Getty)

Manchester United are growing concerned that competition from Real Madrid and Chelsea could cost them the chance of signing Paul Pogba, so much so that the club are considering a world record £100m offer to tempt Juventus into selling the midfielder.

According to the Daily Mail, United have contacted the Serie A club to open negotiations over a move for Pogba, with the Premier League side considering a genuine offer of £100m to not only smash the current transfer world record – the £86m it cost Real Madrid to sign Gareth Bale from Tottenham in 2013 – but become the first club to spend a nine-figure sum on one player.

On top of the huge transfer fee, United are also willing to offer the 23-year-old wages of £300,000-a-week, with the club eager to tie him down to a long-term contract similar to the one that Henrikh Mkhitaryan signed on Wednesday in a four-year deal with the option of an additional 12 months.

United’s increased interest comes after holding talks with Pogba’s agent, Mino Raiola, during negotiations for Mkhitaryan as well as Zlatan Ibrahimovic given that all three players are represented by the Dutch football agent.

It’s added that Pogba is open to a move back to United after leaving the club on a free transfer in 2012 in order to prove he can cut it in the Premier League.

Manchester United summer transfer targets

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1/8Manchester United summer transfer targets

Manchester United summer transfer targets

Ivan Perisic, Inter Milan

United want to spend £35m on Perisic but Inter are holding out for closer to £50m. That said, Mourinho is a big fan and may be willing to go the extra mile to get him. Likelihood: 7/10

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Manchester United summer transfer targets

Renato Sanches - Bayern Munich

Sanches was being chased by United before deciding on Bayern Munich last summer but is back on their radar again 12 months later. He is available for £43m and Ancelotti has admitted United are "a possibility".

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Manchester United summer transfer targets

Fabinho - Monaco

An extremely versatile player Mourinho sees him more as a defensive midfielder and could be used to give Paul Pogba, last summer's big addition, more freedom. Monaco aren't in any rush to lose any more first team stars this summer though and are likely to demand a hefty fee. Likelihood: 7/10

AFP/Getty Images

Manchester United summer transfer targets

Eric Dier - Tottenham

United have already had a bid less than £25m rejected for the defensive midfielder and know they must more than double it to have any hope of signing Dier, who is understood to want the move.

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Manchester United summer transfer targets

Nemanja Matic - Chelsea

Nemanja Matic has twice worked under Jose Mourinho before and he wants to make it a third time at United. However, after beating Chelsea to Romelu Lukaku, relations between the two clubs have been soured somewhat.

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Manchester United summer transfer targets

Gareth Bale - Real Madrid

The Real Madrid forward would be a marquee signing, the type that the Manchester United boardroom are keen to make, and The Independent has been told by sources from both United and Madrid that a deal is 'much likelier' than ever before. The player himself though is happy in the Spanish capital. Likelihood: 5/10

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Manchester United summer transfer targets

Willian - Chelsea

Mourinho is a huge admirer of Willian, who he signed in 2013 while at Chelsea. The pair won a Premier League title and League Cup double together the following year and it is believed that the United manager will do his best to sign the player, who has not been a regular starter in Antonio Conte’s system. Whether Chelsea will allow him to leave, particularly to join Mourinho at their rivals is yet to be seen. Likelihood: 4/10

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Manchester United summer transfer targets

Andrea Belotti - Torino

Another of Europe’s most promising players, Belotti is fast becoming well-known after his outstanding performances at Torino, where he has scored 37 goals in 64 appearances since 2015. His best years are still ahead of him aged just 23, which contributes to the incredible €100m release clause, applicable only to clubs outside of Italy, negotiated into his contract. Torino are in no hurry to sell and will drive a hard bargain with any deal likely to start at upwards of £70m. Likelihood: 7/10

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Meanwhile, an alternative to Pogba is his international team-mate Blaise Matuidi, although reports in France suggest that the Paris Saint-Germain midfielder is yet to see any offers arrive for his services. Both United and Chelsea are believed to be interested in the 29-year-old, who was reportedly given permission to hold talks with United this week over a potential summer move, but French newspaper Le Parisien reports that PSG have not received an offer from a Premier League club for the midfielder.

Summer 2016 Transfer Window - Done deals and rumours

One player who will not be moving to Old Trafford though is James Rodriguez, with the Real Madrid midfielder closing in on a move to PSG. Rodriguez has been linked with a move to United for the past year after he cropped up in talks between United’s executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward and the Spanish club during the David De Gea saga last summer.

However, Spanish newspaper Sport claims that United manager Jose Mourinho has no intention of signing Rodriguez, leaving the door wide open for the Colombian to join PSG providing they meet Real’s valuation.

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