Juventus reportedly believe Paul Pogba could be lured away from Man United for just €50 million

Posted Monday, December 07, 2020 by 101 GREAT GOALS

Word doing the rounds in the European media on Sunday suggests that Manchester United could be willing to part with Paul Pogba in 2021 for a cut-price fee.

Pogba back on song

For the first time in some time, speculation surrounding the future of Red Devils midfielder Pogba proved largely subdued this past summer.

The Frenchman endured a somewhat hit-and-miss campaign at Old Trafford in 2019/20, with a series of ankle problems having restricted him to just 16 Premier League appearances.

Significantly, though, 9 of these outings came on the back of the forced Covid-19 break, with Pogba having gone on to play a key role in Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men clinching a top-4 berth.

The 27-year-old also formed an encouraging partnership alongside Bruno Fernandes at the heart of United’s midfield, with Pogba, all told, having looked genuinely content in the colours of the Manchester giants as the campaign drew to a close.

Such factors, when also taking into consideration the financial impact of the coronavirus pandemic on clubs around the globe, in turn, saw the rumours surrounding Pogba’s name fizzle out almost completely ahead of the 2020/21 campaign.

Old Trafford struggles

This, however, all changed early in October.

Speaking to the media whilst on international duty with France, the gifted midfielder was drawn on a potential move to Real Madrid down the line.

And Pogba point blank refused to rule out the possibility, going as far as to label a Bernabeu switch ‘a dream’:

‘We have all heard that things have been said. What to say? Yes, all footballers would love to play for Real Madrid. It might be a dream.’

‘It is a dream for me, why not one day?’

The weeks since what many viewed as essentially a ‘come and get me’ plea to Real, meanwhile, have seen Pogba majorly struggle for game-time.

In fact, across the club’s 12 outings on the back of the October international break, United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer afforded his star midfielder just 3 starts.

Such woes even saw Pogba himself recently label the last couple of months as ‘the most difficult in my career’.

Bargain Juve return?

As such, fresh word doing the rounds in the media on Sunday, hinting at an upcoming Old Trafford exit for the Frenchman, has come as little surprise.

Just 24 hours after Pogba starred in a much-improved performance at West Ham, Manchester United have reportedly slashed their asking price for the club’s record signing.

The news comes courtesy of Italian outlet Calciomercato, as cited by the Manchester Evening News.

It is claimed that Serie A champions Juventus, keen on the return of their one-time midfield standout, believe a deal for Pogba could be struck next summer, for just €50 million.

This comes with the transfer chiefs at Old Trafford becoming increasingly concerned by the Frenchman’s contract situation.

Pogba’s current deal is set to expire in 2022, making a transfer next summer – if the 27-year-old is not prepared to commit to fresh terms – a genuine possibility.