Paul Pogba is ‘ready’ to renew his contract with Juventus according to his agent, thus potentially ruling out an exit this summer.
The French international has been linked with a departure from Turin since last summer, but after overcoming a difficult start to the season, he has proven how important he is to the Bianconeri in recent months.
Since moving to Turin in 2012, the 23-year-old has developed into one of the most talented and highly-rated midfielders in Europe, and unsurprisingly that has led to interest from various top clubs.
However, his agent, Mino Raiola, has intimated that a new contract with Juve is likely at the end of the season, which in turn will leave the likes of Manchester City and Chelsea disappointed.
“Nothing has changed for Paul compared to a year ago. Juventus and Paul are on the same page here,” Raiola told La Gazzetta dello Sport.
“If nobody can offer him an adequate project, then he’d be better off staying. In fact, we’re even ready to renew his contract. Paul has surprised me in a positive way over the past few seasons. He was a talent before, but he is the real deal now, he is a champion through and through.
“His calm and serene attitude is one of his biggest strengths, that also helped him deal with the criticism at the start of this season.
“He has given his best wearing the No. 10 jersey, despite some misunderstandings at the start of the season.”
In contrast, there is an argument to suggest that Juve could benefit from selling Pogba, with claims that Barcelona were ready to spend €100m on him last summer, as reported by The Guardian.
The Serie A champions could reinvest heavily into their squad with the sale, which in turn would allow coach Massimiliano Allegri to build a stronger all-round team and ensure that they continue to compete both at home and abroad.
However, they are unlikely to want to lose Pogba given his growing influence on and off the pitch, and a contract extension would certainly make it difficult for any interested party in prising him away from Turin.