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Euro club make statement on midfielder: Juve want him to replace Man Utd-bound Paul Pogba
JUVENTUS will not sign Blaise Matuidi as a replacement for Manchester United-bound Paul Pogba, insists Paris Saint-Germain's chairman.
Matuidi (left) and Pogba played for France at Euro 2016
France international Matuidi has been lined up as a direct replacement for compatriot Pogba at Juve.
The Serie A club are close to selling Pogba to United for £90million and are keen to reinvest the cash injection.
But PSG chairman Nasser Al-Khelaifi has ruled out a transfer for Matuidi, who excelled alongside Pogba at Euro 2016 this summer.
“If players want to leave, we’ll see,” Al-Khelaifi said after Jese Rodriguez was unveiled as PSG's most recent signing.
Juve have already spent big money this summer, with Gonzalo Higuain, Miralem Pjanic and Marko Pjaca arriving for a combined transfer fee of over £100m.
United will also go over the £100m mark when Pogba signs, having already spent £30m on defender Eric Bailly and £26.3m on Henrikh Mkhitaryan.
Pogba is currently at Carrington having a medical ahead of his world record switch to the club he left on a free transfer four years ago.
Manchester United fans chant 'Pogba's coming home'
As for Matuidi, Juve manager Antonio Conte has admitted that he may reconsider signing a like-for-like replacement for Pogba.
Reports in Italy claim Allegri could move Pjanic to central midfield and sign a winger - most likely Zenit St Petersburg's Axel Witsel - instead.
“Pjanic is a player who can play in front of the defence, or on the flank, although I do believe that his most appropriate role is the former," Allegri said before Sunday's 3-2 friendly win over West Ham.
“He should always be in the midst of the game.”
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