Transfer news: Paul Pogba a 'waste of money' for Manchester United, City make record bid for John Stones

The latest transfer news and rumoues around the Premier League

Real Madrid are believed to have scrapped a bid for Paul Pogba (Getty)

Real Madrid have given up hope of signing Paul Pogba this summer as they do not want to compete with Manchester United in a bidding war that could see any move for the France international exceed the £100m mark.

United are willing to splash out a nine-figure fee for Pogba as Jose Mourinho looks to add one more “pivotal” signing to his squad, having already signed Eric Bailly, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Henrikh Mkhitaryan.

Real were believed to be interested in Pogba, but a move for the 23-year-old has failed to materialise and looks as though he will either join United or remain at Juventus.

Former Arsenal and France midfielder Emmanuel Petit has criticised the move though and claims that spending £100m on Pogba is a “waste of money”. Speaking to Yahoo Sport, Petit said: “They say £100m… it is a waste of money for me.

“Pogba has a great future, but this move is too early for him.

“I don’t like the situation around him all the time. We are making him out to be a big star, but he is not a big star to me.

“He hasn’t reached the level of the Champions League yet or the level with the national team. I am pretty sure he can do it, but this is too early for him.”

Manchester City meanwhile have made a £53m offer for Everton defender John Stones, with the England international wanted by Pep Guardiola in his bid to land a fourth signing of the summer. The Sun reports that City have launched a move for the 22-year-old, with their offer just a few million short of their club-record transfer in the form of their £55m signing of Kevin De Bruyne.

The transfer would make Stones the most expensive English player ever as well as the most expensive defender, beating the £50m mark set by David Luiz’s £50m move from Chelsea to Paris Saint-Germain in 2014.

However, Everton stood firm when Chelsea made three bids for Stones last summer, but the significant increase on the offer – City’s £53m bid if around £13m more than what Chelsea offered – could tempt the Merseyside club into cashing in on the centre-back.

Leicester have opened talks with N’Golo Kante over and improved contract that will see him earn £100,000-a-week in a bid to try and persuade him to snub a move to Chelsea. Kante is wanted by new Chelsea manager Antonio Conte, and the Daily Mail reports that the Blues are growing increasingly confident that they can talk the France midfielder in a move to Stamford Bridge.

Kante has been offered a five-year contract by Chelsea, and it’s added that he would rather stay in the Premier League rather than join PSG in France or move to China to link up with SIPG.