Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho is hoping that the club’s ability to match Paul Pogba’s wage demands will see them beat Real Madrid to his signing.
The Juventus midfielder is currently on international duty with France at Euro 2016, but that hasn’t prevented speculation about his club future rumbling on.
While the Serie A champions are desperate to avoid losing him, should either United or Real Madrid match their £84m valuation of the player, then it will likely come down to a bidding war between the two European giants, according to The Guardian.
However, the report goes on to state that where United might have an advantage is being able to match his salary expectations, while they also have close links with agent Mino Raiola after agreeing terms with his clients Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Henrikh Mkhitaryan over the past week.
United’s inability to offer Champions League football this coming season could be a significant factor in the decision for Pogba too, although at this stage it is claimed by the British newspaper that United and Real are both continuing their pursuit and expect movement after the European Championship has concluded.
Mourinho began work at Carrington on Monday on his first official day in the new job, and will hold his first press conference as United boss on Tuesday.
Since being appointed manager last month, he has already brought in Eric Bailly and Ibrahimovic, and more new faces are expected in the coming weeks.
Whether or not he manages to persuade to Pogba to join his revolution at Old Trafford this summer remains to be seen. Having left United for Juve in 2012, the Frenchman has a big decision to make to determine if it’s the right move for him at this stage of his career.