Manchester City have been discussing the potential option of a surprise free transfer swoop for Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba.
These talks have been taking place internally, with no official offer made to Pogba for the moment, according to Fabrizio Romano in his exclusive column for CaughtOffside.
Pogba will be a free agent this summer and there’s no doubt plenty of top clubs will be showing an interest in landing such a big name without having to pay a transfer fee.
Still, the France international has not yet been approached by City, who are merely assessing some targets to replace veteran Brazilian midfielder Fernandinho, who will be leaving the Etihad Stadium at the end of the season.
“We’ve seen some major headlines about a possible move across Manchester for Paul Pogba this summer, and my understanding is that the Frenchman is absolutely open to discuss many different options for his future,” Romano wrote in his column.
“At the moment, no official communication has arrived to Manchester United from the player, but this silence that has lasted for so many months now makes the club think that Paul will leave as a free agent.
“Pogba is open to discussing with all clubs including Paris Saint-Germain, while I can confirm Manchester City have been discussing his name internally as an option for midfield. At the moment there is no advanced negotiation between Man City and Pogba but there’s interest for sure on City’s side.
“Pep Guardiola is evaluating together with the club board several candidates for the role of the new midfielder who will replace Fernandinho, but there are still no official offers. This will be one of City’s top priorities this summer as it won’t be easy to replace an important, experienced figure like Fernandinho, who has confirmed he’ll be leaving the Etihad Stadium at the end of his contract.”
Romano added that he felt Pogba could do well under Guardiola if this move did come about, though he also suggested it might be best for the former Juventus man to avoid the drama of such a move, and opt for somewhere where he can thrive from playing in ‘peace’ and avoiding the inevitable headlines that would come from a move across Manchester.
“In my opinion, Guardiola’s tactical approach could help Pogba express himself to the best of his potential, unlike what we’ve seen of him down the years at Man United,” Romano said.
“But I’m not sure if a shocking and controversial move like this would be the best solution for him. Pogba has always performed when he has found himself in peace, like with Juventus or with the French national team. He’s definitely good enough for City, but I feel he’d be better off taking a different path.”
please please please take him