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What is the story?
According to reports from Spanish media outlet Marca, Real Madrid will have break the Spanish transfer record and pay around €180 million to land Paul Pogba this summer.
In case you didn't know...
Since his return at Old Trafford, Pogba has proven himself to be an asset for Manchester United. With 16 goals and 11 assists in all competitions, the French midfielder was arguably the best performer for the Red Devils in the previous season.
Pogba and his agent Mino Raiola sparked fresh rumours when the latter hinted the player's desire for a move out of Old Trafford. Despite being strongly linked with European heavyweights like Real Madrid and Juventus, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has claimed that they are yet to receive a bid for Pogba.
Meanwhile, United finished sixth in the Premier League and as a result, they will not feature in the Champions League in the upcoming season.
Also see : Manchester united Transfer News, Arsenal Transfer News, Liverpool Tranfer News
The heart of the matter
It is an open secret that Zinedine Zidane is a keen admirer of Pogba. The French coach has urged Los Blancos hierarchy to secure the services of the player to bolster their team. But as Solskjaer stated, United are not a selling club anymore and they are not willing to offload a player of Pogba's calibre.
According to the report, the Spanish giants will have pay a figure around €180 million, which is a record transfer for any Spanish club. United hierarchy realizes that they will not be able to replace Pogba easily and they do not need the money, which makes it harder for Madrid to get their hands on the player.
United already made their stance clear when Madrid were in pursuit of De Gea. Eventually, the Red Devils managed to keep De Gea and they are taking a similar stance regarding Pogba. Considering the club's stand and the current market valuation, Madrid will find it more difficult to sign the French midfielder.
What's next?
Pogba has travelled with the Manchester United squad to Australia for their pre-season fixtures. United will face Perth Glory in their first match of pre-season fixtures.
