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Real Madrid signing Paul Pogba in January could be double whammy for Man Utd
Paul Pogba's contract at Manchester United is set to expire next summer.
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Manchester United could be hit by a double whammy if Real Madrid get their hands on Paul Pogba. The France international’s contract is set to expire next summer and he has been heavily linked with a move away from England.
United are desperate to hand Pogba a new deal to ensure he doesn’t walk away for free, according to Mundo Deportivo. But the player is yet to sign an extension at Old Trafford.
If Pogba won’t put pen to paper, club chiefs may look to cash in on the midfielder in January.
United will be hopeful of receiving a fee that satisfies their coffers even as late as January, but it won’t come close to the £89million the club paid Juventus for the player in 2016.
Real are long-term admirers of the 28-year-old and have been courting him for some time.
They would apparently prefer to wait until next summer to land their man in order to circumvent any transfer fee.
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But if United do put the player up for sale only English clubs will have to pay a fee and he could sign a pre-agreement with Real for free.
Whether Los Blancos sign Pogba in January or next summer, the transfer would be a major blow to United on two fronts.
Firstly the Red Devils would lose a player who is clearly world-class on his day - Pogba’s talent has never been in question.
But United would also suffer the setback of Pogba’s agent Mino Raiola potentially building a strong relationship with Real Madrid.
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Raiola has a number of global superstars on his books – including Borussia Dortmund’s Erling Haaland.
If negotiations between Madrid and Pogba go well, the Spanish giants may then inevitably find themselves in the driving seat to land Haaland.
That would be a major blow to United’s plans as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is believed to be keen to take Haaland to Old Trafford ahead of next season.
The goalscoring machine is contracted to Dortmund until 2024 but has a release clause which would allow him to leave for £67million next summer.
When that release clause becomes active, Europe’s powerhouses are likely to fight tooth and nail to sign the player.
Solskjaer and Haaland are both Norwegian, which could give United an edge in negotiations – but Raiola could well put himself in control to thrash out a deal.
Haaland is regarded as one on the finest strikers in world football and his addition has the potential to laden his next club with silverware, wherever he ends up.
The likes of Manchester City, Chelsea and Liverpool could also be interested in the 21-year-old so it remains to be seen which club can get a deal over the line.