The saga for the most sought-after French player in the world is in full swing, according to a report by Goal.com.
Paul Pogba has been flashing brilliant for Juventus for the past couple of seasons now. His goals have so often been stunners that one has to wonder if he is secretly afflicted with Sneijder Syndrome. Class just oozes out of the 22 year old, so much so that it sometimes seems like he pulls off pieces of skill by accident. It’s a disposition that has the biggest clubs in the world gearing up to make sure that the next time Pogba brews a batch of brilliance, it’s in their colors, and PSG have made the first appreciable move.
In what is most certainly a low-ball bid for the French midfielder, PSG have reportedly agreed with Juventus on a $89 million dollar transfer fee. You read that right: an $89 million low-ball. When James Rodriguez and Neymar go for $95 million and $63 million, respectively, and you consider that Pogba is arguably better than James and closer to a finished product than Neymar was, a “low-ball” is exactly what that price is.
The number more than the agreement is what matters here. It doesn’t really matter what price is “agreed upon” at this stage of negotiations when Pogba has yet to agree to personal terms, and is “willing to bide his time and evaluate other offers which he believes will come his way this summer.” If any credence to this story is to be given, it is to be given to the fact that negotiations have started to take place, and that $89 million is a realistic starting point.
The Goal.com article states that Pogba would prefer a move back to the Premier League, but I have to disagree with that. If Pogba is moving anywhere, it’s to Barcelona or PSG.
Pogba is from Paris. If he were to go to PSG he would be arriving at the end of the Ibrahimovic era, and the start of star Italian midfielder Marco Verratti’s prime. He could enter the team and immediately take over as its unquestioned face. He has the skill and personality to do so. Should he become successful, bringing the club greater Champions League success than it achieved with Ibrahimovic, he could become a god among men in Paris: the prodigal son returning to forge a dynasty at his hometown club.
The Barcelona option will speak to him for one reason and one reason only: footballing magic. Pogba would be able to take the field with Andres Iniesta — and perhaps Xavi — with Messi, Suarez, and Neymar in front of him. He would be a part of the next Barcelona dream, the likes of which he would not be able to attain anywhere else. Bayern Munich has a puncher’s chance at signing him because it can provide the same level of class, but the flair and personalities Barca currently commands mirror Pogba, and cannot be matched by the Germans. And Pogba reportedly does not want to go to Real Madrid.
In the face of such desirable destinations, the financial clout of Juventus is not as decisive as it would be for, say, an Italian star. Pogba will leave Juventus, and should the right deal come along, his agent agrees.
This train of logic leads directly towards PSG low-balling Juventus. If Pogba wanted to leave for PSG for the aforementioned reasons, than PSG would have every reason to come in at $89 million dollars. They have the leverage to do so. I don’t believe that this is what Pogba will actually sell for, but it is a very good indication of where negotiations stand between the two clubs.
This summer is sure to be full of transfer rumors, baseless and legitimate, surrounding Pogba. We can’t wait to see how it will all play out.
