Mino Raiola says Manchester United are aware of Paul Pogba’s desire to leave
Paul Pogba’s agent Mino Raiola says they “are in the process” of facilitating a move away from Manchester United, confirming that the Frenchman wants to leave Old Trafford.
The French World Cup winner, who was absent from pre-season training with United this week, said last month that “now could be a good time to find a new challenge”.
Raiola also says United are aware of Pogba’s desire to leave Old Trafford this summer and cast doubt over whether the 26-year-old will travel with the squad on their pre-season tour on Sunday.
He told The Times: “Everyone knows the willingness of Paul to move on. We are in the process of that. Everyone knows what the feelings of Paul are.”
Raiola added: “Everyone within the club, from the manager to the owner, knows Paul’s wishes.”
When asked if Pogba would travel with the United squad for a pre-season tour of Australia on Sunday, Raiola said: “I cannot tell you anything. I live day by day.”
Pogba wants to leave United and has been linked with a return to former side Juventus.
Real Madrid also have a longstanding interest in the 26-year-old midfielder but Sky in Italy understands Pogba would prefer a return to Turin, three years after they sold him to United for a then world-record fee of £89m.
United want to sell Pogba this summer, regardless of what they’re saying in public, says Sky Sports News reporter Kaveh Solhekol.
“Paul Pogba thinks he can do better than Manchester United. He doesn’t want to hang about playing in a club who are finishing fifth or sixth in the Premier League, he doesn’t want to play in the Europa League – he wants to play in the Champions League.
“In public, Manchester United are saying he’s not for sale but they also have a problem because that contract year-by-year is going down and down. There’s only two years left on it now with an option of another year – if United don’t sell him now his value is going to diminish unless he signs a new deal and that doesn’t look like happening.
“Privately behind the scenes are Manchester United are saying this is the time to get rid of him, he’s a problem, he’s causing us problems in the media with these interviews, he’s a problem in the dressing room, he’s a bad influence, let’s get rid of him.
“We’ve been told United are looking for £150m for him. Real Madrid have problems with Financial Fair Play because they’ve spent so much money already this summer but I think if they want him they’ll find a way of structuring a deal to get him.
“The other club who want Pogba are Juventus, where United signed him from, but again I don’t think Juventus can afford to pay £150m. I’ve been told that the maximum Juventus could afford to pay for him would be about £89m.”
