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Manchester United transfer news: Paul Pogba deal 'agreed' but Juventus insist no contact has been made

The latest transfer news and speculation surrounding Old Trafford

Jack de Menezes
Thursday 21 July 2016 08:50 BST
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Pogba left Old Trafford four years ago in search of regular football
Pogba left Old Trafford four years ago in search of regular football

Conflicting reports over the future of Paul Pogba have emerged once again after it was claimed in both England and France overnight that Manchester United have had a bid accepted by Juventus, only for the Italian club’s director general to speak out against such an agreement.

Pogba’s possible move to United has grown into one of the biggest transfer sagas ever seen, with the 23-year-old France midfielder in line to become the first £100m player should he return to United, four years after leaving Old Trafford.

While Pogba enjoys a holiday in France, his agent, Mino Raiola, has been in talks with both Juventus and United about the move, and it’s claimed by French newspaper L’Equipe that a £100m offer has been accepted after Juventus bowed to Pogba’s desire to leave the club.

Summer 2016 Transfer Window - Done deals and rumours

It’s added by the Daily Mail that Pogba’s personal demands have already been met by United, with the former Old Trafford academy product earning £220,000-a-week after tax on a five-year contract, making him the highest paid player in the Premier League and the third in the world after Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Having already received handsome pay-offs for structuring the deals to take Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Zlatan Ibrahimovic to Old Trafford, Raiola is in line to receive a huge sum of money should the Pogba deal go through, with The Guardian reporting that a £100m transfer fee will see the Dutch football agent pocket £18.4m to his percentage clause in Pogba’s a contract – a record fee for any football agent.

However, reports in Italy claim that Juventus are yet to receive any contact from United of an official nature, with the club’s director general, Guiseppe Marotta, telling Sportitalia that as far as the Italian league champions are concerned Pogba remains their player for the foreseeable future.

“There is no contact with Manchester United for Pogba,” said Marotta.

“The situation is no different to when I spoke to you on Friday.”

United are closing in on another signing away from the Pogba saga, as 17-year-old Brentford winger Joshua Bohui is expected to complete a move to Old Trafford in the next week after agreeing terms on a three-year deal, according to the Manchester Evening News.

Joshua Bohui is poised to join Manchester United's academy

The teenager will go straight into United’s under-18s squad and has emerged from the Afewee Academy, the same proving ground that produced Liverpool and England right-back Nathaniel Clyne. Bohui has already been capped for England at Under-17 level and was part of the squad that flew out to Azerbaijan in May this year.

One surprising development sees United linked with Manchester City target Leonardo Bonucci, although Juventus remain determined not to sell the Italy defender. While Pogba remains United’s top target, they are making plans to sign a second defender this summer – following the £30m acquisition of Eric Bailly – and ESPN report that Bonucci has emerged as Mourinho’s preferred pick.

Leonardo Bonucci is wanted by United and City 

One problem for United is their own pursuit of Pogba, as completing a word record transfer for the Frenchman will give Juventus more than enough financial firepower to keep hold of Bonucci and prevent any more player sales. The interest coming from City is also a problem, as a two-horse race means that Juventus can ramp up the asking fee in an effort to receive as much as possible.

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