Juventus have reportedly set a three-week deadline to determine the future of star midfielder Paul Pogba who continues to be linked with a move away from the club.
The French international sparked further speculation of a move to Stamford Bridge this week by suggesting that he wanted to emulate Blues legend Frank Lampard, as reported by the Metro.
While he didn’t explicitly say that he wanted to do that at Stamford Bridge, it has naturally led to claims that a move to Chelsea could still be a possibility, particularly given Antonio Conte’s arrival at the club this summer.
In turn, if that situation does become more than a mere rumour, the Bianconeri want to be in a position where they have plenty of time to rebuild and enjoy a strong transfer market to replace him.
According to both La Stampa and La Gazzetta dello Sport, as noted by Football Italia, Juve have set a deadline and will give the former Manchester United starlet three weeks to decide on whether he will accept a contract renewal or walk away.
It is suggested that the club are willing to offer him an extension to June 2020 with a salary somewhere between €4.5m-€6m per season with bonuses.
While Pogba’s future position for the team and his influence in the final third will also be discussed as part of the negotiations, the Turin giants evidently want him to stay and continue to be a focal point in their success.
Juve secured their fifth consecutive Scudetto earlier this week, and the plan for the club now will be to continue their domestic dominance while also making their mark in Europe.
Having reached the Champions League final last season, Massimiliano Allegri’s men lost out in a real quarter-final battle with Bayern Munich this time round, but armed with Pogba and some summer reinforcements, they will be confident about their future standing in Europe.
There is no denying that the French international is crucial to their continued success, and rather than sell their prized assets, Juve are set to continue to build and grow into a dominant force on the European scene.