Manchester City are plotting a shock swoop for Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba on a free transfer at the end of the season, reports Fichajes.
Paul Pogba, 28, who re-signed for Manchester United from Juventus back in 2016, is out of contract in June and his situation at Old Trafford continues to be a source of uncertainty.
The French World Cup winner is free to sign a pre-contract agreement with a foreign club as things stands and he could leave Man United on a free transfer at the end of the campaign. However, the midfielder has not yet decided about his future and is seemingly in no rush to choose his next club.
Paul Pogba is regarded as one of the best midfielders in world football and his potential availability for nothing has rightly attracted the attention of some of Europe’s bigwigs. Fichajes claims Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain are monitoring his situation, while a return to Juventus cannot be ruled out.
Manchester City are the latest entrant in the race to sign Pogba, who has endured another injury-hit campaign with the Red Devils. The Frenchman returned to the Man United squad earlier this month after having been sidelined for three months due to a muscle injury picked up while on international duty in November.
Undoubtedly, Pogba will be one of Europe’s hottest free agents, with Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola a long admirer of the box-to-box midfielder’s talents, the report adds.
While the 28-year-old’s injury problems coupled with inconsistency and a lack of stability means he has flattered to deceive in the red half of Manchester, Guardiola would feel his coaching can finally unlock the player’s potential and provide him with the perfect platform to enjoy the peak years of his footballing career.
On his day, Pogba is a world-class talent and literally unplayable, but when not, he is a frustrating figure to have in the team. Having splashed around £89 million to sign him from Juventus, it is a big shame Man United have failed to get the best out of the France international.
Nonetheless, with super-agent Mino Raiola scouring the best possible destination for Pogba, a move to Manchester City for zero cost cannot be ruled out.