Paul Pogba is Juventus’ dream midfield target this summer.
Juventus know they need to make at least one superstar signing to upgrade their midfield this summer. They have been working hard to bring in young center midfielder Arthur Melo from Barcelona in a swap deal, and Maurizio Sarri also has eyes on a reunion with Jorginho from Chelsea.
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However, the dream target for the Bianconeri is clearly Paul Pogba, who spent several quality years in Turin before becoming Manchester United’s record-breaking signing.
Pogba wants out of United, though, as the Red Devils have struggled to build a strong team around him.
The false hopes, broken promises, and injuries mean that it’s probably best for Pogba to find a different situation, potentially at a club with a stronger chance at winning the Champions League.
Pogba is still a world-class player despite the lack of production in 2019-2020 due to injury.
As such, Real Madrid and Juventus are the powerhouse clubs with the most interest in him, as Pogba seems to favor either a reunion with Juve or a move to the Bernabeu where Zinedine Zidane coaches.
Unfortunately, Corriere dello Sport reports that signing Pogba this summer would be “mission impossible” for Juve.
There has been some optimism that Juve would be able to swing a deal despite the transfer value uncertainty caused by COVID-19. The Bianconeri and other clubs won’t have much cash-on-hand to complete deals, but as their negotiations with Barcelona have shown, creative swap deals can replace this issue.
In the case of a deal with United, Juve could offer Adrien Rabiot, Aaron Ramsey, or Douglas Costa, as the Red Devils would reportedly accept them in a swap deal.
But Corriere dello Sport reports that Pogba’s overall fee, which will still be around 100 million euros, and high wages are the roadblocks. Even if the Bianconeri can reduce United’s asking price, they may still have to spend at least 50 million euros in cash, which would be irresponsible. Even using that amount of money on striker Mauro Icardi to replace Gonazalo Higuain seems unlikely.
The wages are much harder to soften, as no player swap could reduce Pogba’s wages. He’d have to take the wage cut himself, and it’s doubtful he would. Nor should he, if he can make higher wages with United.