Express. Home of the Daily and Sunday Express.
Why Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane is confident of signing Man Utd star Paul Pogba
Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane is confident of signing transfer target Paul Pogba from Manchester United in January, as the midfielder is adamant that he wants to move to the Santiago Bernabeu from Old Trafford.
Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane is quietly confident of landing Paul Pogba in January, despite the Los Blancos hierarchy preferring a move for Christian Eriksen.
Zidane tried to sign Pogba during the summer, after the Manchester United midfielder made it clear that he was interested in a move away from Old Trafford.
But Real Madrid were priced out of a move for Pogba, as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer considered the Frenchman crucial to his long-term plan at the club.
Zidane thinks the deal will go through in the coming months, however, as Pogba is desperate to link up with him at the Santiago Bernabeu, according to ESPN.
Real Madrid were priced out of a move for Man Utd midfielder Paul Pogba in the summer
The Real Madrid manager faces a battle against club president Florentino Perez for the signature.
Perez is more keen on a move for Tottenham midfielder Christian Eriksen, who is also angling for a move.
Around £27million (€30m) could be enough to sign Eriksen in January, as his contract runs out this summer.
Spurs are likely to prefer a transfer than allowing the Dane to leave for a free.
But, Eriksen would reportedly prefer to leave Tottenham at the end of the season, as he’d be entitled to a larger signing-on bonus to wherever he moved.
If he chooses to avoid a January move, that could pave the way for Real Madrid to go back in for Pogba.
The club are likely to sign at least one new midfielder in January, as they’ve been hampered by injuries.
It’s unclear how much Real Madrid will have to shell out to sign Pogba, but given United aren’t interested in a deal, and he’s contracted to the club for another two years, it’s likely to be a lot.
The France international has also reportedly demanded a huge pay rise to stay at United.
He wants a new £27m-a-year deal to keep him at Old Trafford, according to Tuttosport.
The pay rise would see Pogba earning the same amount as Cristiano Ronaldo is pocketing at Juventus.