Coronavirus could help Manchester United hold on to Paul Pogba
Manchester United might retain Pogba’s services for next season after all.
According to the latest reports from Italy, the Covid-19 outbreak could force Juventus to drop out of their pursuit of former midfielder Paul Pogba, who now plays under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer at Manchester United.
The Turin giants sold the French midfielder back to Manchester United in 2016 for a then world record fee of £90 million. While Pogba has played some exceptional football for his boyhood club, he has also often left fans frustrated with his inconsistency.
Rumors that he’s been unsettled at the club have been swirling for the past couple of seasons now, and it has widely been accepted that the 27-year-old would inevitably leave Old Trafford.
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Juventus and Real Madrid have been the front-runners, given that he is likely to cost at least £120 million. This season, Pogba has been out injured for the lion’s share of the campaign with an ankle injury, having made only 7 appearances in the league.
His conspicuous absence has only helped fuel speculations surrounding his future. The signing of Bruno Fernandes in January and recent rumors about Saul Niguez seemed to further reinforce the fact that United were preparing to sell him in the summer.
But fans who had been hoping to see Fernandes and Pogba together on the pitch can be hopeful again. In spite of United’s asking price for Pogba dropping to around £100 million, it appears that the severe financial strain of the coronavirus outbreak will prevent Juventus from making a move.
Juve appear to have placed a salary cap of €9 million for potential new signings, which is considerably lower than the figure that Pogba and his agent Mino Raiola are likely to demand.
Of course, this doesn’t necessarily mean that Real Madrid do not still have Pogba in their sights. The Madrid giants have more financial firepower than Juventus, but given that they spent over €300 million last summer, it is safe to assume that Florentino Perez would be more cautious this time.
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A midfield consisting of Pogba, Fernandes, Fred and Scott McTominay would be one of the best in the Premier League next season, and United fans can be reasonably hopeful of some silverware.