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What's the story?
According to reports from Spanish media outlet Marca, Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane continues to urge the club to sign Manchester United superstar Paul Pogba. But Los Blancos hierarchy are still reluctant to sign the French midfielder due to the asking price and the wages of the player.
In case you didn't know...
With 13 goals and 9 assists in the Premier League, Paul Pogba remains one of the best midfielders in England but the 26-year-old is enduring a difficult and inconsistent campaign. After a chaotic tenure under former boss Jose Mourinho, Pogba got into his usual groove when Ole Gunner Solskjaer took charge in December. But again, the midfielder is enduring a drop in form in the past ten matches.
The Frenchman himself flaunted his admiration towards Real Madrid recently and even Zinedine Zidane revealed that he admires him. Manchester United are currently 6th in the Premier League with just two games left in the current campaign.
The heart of the matter
Real Madrid endured a terrible campaign which is far below their expectations. Zinedine Zidane is their third coach in the 2018/19 season and the club is reportedly desperate to bring reinforcements in the summer.
According to the report, Pogba remains one of the top names in Zinedine Zidane's wishlist but the asking price tag and the wages of the player remain major obstacles for a move away. Real Madrid board realizes that the Frenchman himself is keen to join the club but they are not willing to spend over €200 million to secure his services.
Moreover, Pogba must take a significant pay cut from his €18 million salary due to the nature of Madrid's wage policy. The midfielder must convey his desire to leave to the United board but even then, he will cost over €150 million.
Currently, Madrid are not willing to spend that kind of money but if Zinedine Zidane keeps insisting on the move, they will be willing to negotiate with Red Devils in the near future.
What's next?
Manchester United face Huddersfield while Real Madrid takes on Villareal next in their respective leagues.
