Paul Pogba Agent Reveals Transfer Timeline Amid Manchester United, PSG Rumours

Juventus will face a struggle to keep hold of star midfielder Paul Pogba beyond 2016, according to the player’s agent Mino Raiola, who has cited Paris Saint-Germain as the “most natural” potential destination for the former Manchester United man.

In an interview with Italian outlet La Gazzetta dello Sport (h/t Football Italia), Raiola spoke about a host of potential suitors for his player, including the French champions and Real Madrid:

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How long will Pogba stay in Italy? Everyone has their cards close to their chest, let’s see who gambles. PSG is the most natural: if we want to go, who can tell us no? ...

If Paul leaves Juve, he wants to do it to go to the top. So if it’s not this year it’ll be the year after. In the meantime, Paul has a good reputation and pay level so he can stay another year.

He’s the only big star available in the summer, if someone wants him then the price could even be above €100m, if you can’t get [Cristiano] Ronaldo, [Lionel] Messi or [Zlatan] Ibra[himovic] then there’s only him.

Real Madrid? The more they say they don’t want him, the more I enjoy it. That’s the way they are. Today they say they’re not interested, tomorrow he’s wearing the crown on his shirt.

"

MANU FERNANDEZ/Associated Press

Manchester United, Chelsea and Barcelona are also interested in the young midfielder, per reports in Spain (h/t Chisanga Malata of the Daily Star), with Pogba having caught the eye with a string of phenomenal displays at the heart of the Bianconeri midfield. Such has been the quality of his performances, it’d be no surprise if Pogba was sold for a world-record fee.

Here's a look at why he could potentially command that kind of money:

There are only a select few clubs who could stump up that kind of cash, however, and PSG are undeniably one of them. Indeed, as noted by Bleacher Report’s French football expert Jonathan Johnson, French outlet L’Equipe claims the Ligue 1 juggernauts are already making ambitious summer plans to accrue the very best French talent:

For a young French player, it doesn't get much better than challenging for the biggest honours in French and European football with one of your country’s most iconic sides. But Ligue 1 is a division that is somewhat uncompetitive, and if Pogba does have eyes for establishing himself as one of the world’s best, a move to a better quality of league is paramount.

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Shining at United in the Premier League or with Los Blancos in La Liga would surely allow him such reverence, and you suspect both clubs will be firmly in the race to get Pogba on board should Juventus prompt an auction this summer.

Earlier this month, Bleacher Report's Matteo Bonetti looked at why the Bianconeri might be willing to cash in on their prized asset at the end of the season:

Given that Pogba only penned a contract extension in late 2014, there's clearly a big decision facing the Bianconeri hierarchy on how to handle someone who is arguably already the best player in Serie A. As noted here by WhoScored.com, the 21-year-old is currently on the right track if he wants to be talked among the game’s elite talents:

Already Pogba must be considered as one of the world’s finest central midfield men. In the first half of the current campaign he has shown an added maturity and consistency to complement his phenomenal array of attributes; ominously for the Bianconeri’s Serie A opponents, he’s a player who is going to get better and better as the campaign rolls on, too.

With Arturo Vidal, Andrea Pirlo and Claudio Marchisio in situ in Turin, Juve could compensate for a player like Pogba better than most. But at the moment and for a while yet, Serie A remains the best place for the young Frenchman to hone his precocious talent before he embarks on what will be one of the biggest transfers that the game has ever seen.