Manchester United Transfer News: Latest on Paul Pogba and Paddy McNair Rumours
Jose Mourinho has dropped his clearest hint yet that Paul Pogba will be joining Manchester United in the coming days, per Joe Short of the Daily Express.
A long-term transfer target, the Juventus midfielder is reportedly set to make a sensational £110 million switch to return to Old Trafford after departing the club in 2012.
The Red Devils are expected to make the announcement of his arrival ahead of the new Premier League season, which kicks off on August 13, once Pogba undergoes medical tests. When asked about potential future transfers in a press conference on Friday, the Portuguese manager offered a suggestion that Pogba would soon be a United player again.
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Per Short, Mourinho said: "Yes [there will be a big signing]. We have 22 players now and we will have 23. I don't like to talk about other teams' players. He is a Juventus player until officially he is not."
The former Chelsea boss went on to confirm that a talented midfielder would soon be arriving at the club:
"We've got a young central defender [in Eric Bailly] that needs time to be a top one, but he has top potential and we believe a lot in him. We brought [Henrikh] Mkhitaryan here, a player that we know the quality he has.
We've got a super striker [in Zlatan Ibrahimovic] and we are going to get a very good midfield player, so I am happy with the balance of my squad. I’m happy with the effort that the club has, and is still putting in for us.
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Per the Daily Mirror's Alex Richards, Pogba left the Theatre of Dreams as a 19-year-old after what iconic former coach Sir Alex Ferguson deemed a lack of respect; the Frenchman rejected a new contract offer because of a lack of first-team playing time.
The Juve man spent three seasons in the north-west of England before joining the Italian giants for a meagre compensatory fee of £800,000. He has gone on to prove himself to be one of the most talented players in world football, collecting four Scudettos and two Coppa Italias during four seasons with the Old Lady.
The 23-year-old has been enjoying his extended time off this summer following his exertions helping France to the final of Euro 2016 and met rap star Drake on Friday, posting on his official Twitter account:
With the Premier League season edging ever closer, time is running out for Pogba to settle at his proposed new club. Meanwhile, fellow English top-tier bosses have been having their say on the terms of the move.
Per Chris Wheeler of the Daily Mail, Arsene Wenger described the amount of money as "crazy," while Liverpool's Jurgen Klopp also denounced the reported figures. Mourinho hit back those comments on Friday, per Kaveh Solhekol of Sky Sports:
McNair Set for Exit?
Paddy McNair could be set to leave United on a permanent basis, with the Northern Irishman keen for a fresh start away from the club, per Sky Sports (h/t Jonathan Green of the Daily Star).
The defender was part of a group of nine players Mourinho named as surplus to requirements at the club this season, per Joe Bernstein of MailOnline. However, it is believed Mourinho wanted the defender to depart the club on a temporary basis by way of a loan deal.
The plan has now altered, with Sky Sports reporting McNair is open to leaving permanently, with several Premier League and Championship sides interested in his services. It is believed Sunderland, Newcastle United, Middlesbrough and Burnley are all tracking the 21-year-old, with Aston Villa and Brendan Rodgers' Celtic also linked.
Per WhoScored.com, the youngster enjoyed a breakout year under Louis van Gaal in 2014-15, making 16 Premier League appearances, but he featured in just eight league matches last year.
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