Juventus CEO Maurizio Arrivabene has spoken of a “gentleman’s agreement” with Manchester United in relation to a transfer move for Paul Pogba.
Pogba’s agent Rafaela Pimenta has reportedly held fresh talks over a return to the Italian club. The midfielder has been set on seeking pastures new following the conclusion of the current campaign after rejecting a new and improved contract offer from the Red Devils last summer, and now he could sign for Juventus for a second time.
United’s interim boss Ralf Rangnick has all but confirmed that Pogba will leave Old Trafford at the end of the season for a new club. The France international’s deal at Old Trafford expires on 30 June and he has been free to speak to rival clubs since 1 January.
That means that Pogba – United’s record signing at £89million – could leave the club as a free agent for the second time in his career, having joined Juve in similar circumstances in 2012. Even though Paris Saint-Germain have retained an interest in the Red Devils’ midfielder, the Italian club are said to be in the driving seat for his signature.
A report in Italian media outlet La Gazzetta dello Sport claims that Pogba will be offered an annual wage of £6.3million (€7.5m) by the Turin club with add-ons that would take this sum up to in excess of £9million. However, Pogba is said to be holding on for an even greater sum of money, which may mean PSG could yet be in the running.
Speaking about the possibility of signing Pogba, Juve CEO Arrivabene said on Sky Sport: “He is a Manchester United player. We respect them, and we would have to inform them first due to a gentleman’s agreement. He has the same agent as Moise Kean and Luca Pellegrini, so talking is routine. He was not the main topic.”
Arrivabene added: “I agree that we could use a top-notch midfielder, and we are making our evaluations. We need the right balance across every role. The squad has to be financially sustainable, and we want the right combination between youngsters and veterans.”
Pogba has a tremendous CV, winning four Serie A titles, three domestic cups, the World Cup, Nations League and several other trophies during his career. But he’s failed to impress since United re-signed him for a club-record fee in the summer of 2016, winning just two major honours and none since 2017.
