Real Madrid Transfer News: Paul Pogba Interest Confirmed by FIFA Agent

FIFA agent Marco Mastrodonato has confirmed Real Madrid's interest in Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba, insisting that Los Blancos President Florentino Perez is "bewitched" by the 21-year-old star.

As noted by Ben Jefferson of the Express, a host of European football's elite clubs—including Manchester United, Manchester City, Chelsea and Arsenal—have been linked with the French international. But speaking with Il Sussidiario, per Jefferson's piece, Mastrodonato revealed Real are happy to splash out in order to land him:

"

I can confirm that Real Madrid have a strong interest in the player. Florentino Perez - the president on Los Merengues - is bewitched by Paul Pogba.

That [£80 million transfer fee] won't be a problem for Perez. The president of Real Madrid spent the same amount to sign Bale and practically recovered it all through sponsors and merchandising.

"

Kamran Jebreili/Associated Press

Pogba has expedited his reputation from one of European football's best young players this season into a thoroughbred midfield star. He can be an intricate, Swiss army knife of a footballer, playing astute passes between the lines and gliding past opponents, but he can also use his brute physicality to barge through an opposition defence with a raw ferocity, too.

As noted by WhoScored.com, Pogba is a player who adds a mercurial, unpredictable streak to the Bianconeri midfield with his insouciant bursts forward:

Given Pogba's stature in the game and Los Blancos' longstanding patent for getting the game's best young talent on board, it'd be little surprise if there is concrete interest there.

The reports also add credence to suggestions from Bleacher Report's Spanish football expert Guillem Balague, who claimed earlier in the year that the Frenchman would be Madrid's primary summer target:

While Real's reputation for wanting the sexiest names in the game is well known, for manager Carlo Ancelotti, it's imperative that he strengthens the heart of the midfield this summer.

Sami Khedira and Asier Illarramendi could both be on their way out, per Bruce Archer of the Daily Star, leaving the engine room of this team a little short of orthodox midfield men to back up Toni Kroos and Luka Modric.

Valerio Pennicino/Getty Images

Pogba would be the perfect acquisition in that respect. Not only is he a player who's already one of the best box-to-box midfielders in the world, but at 21 years old, the potential long-term impact he could have at the Santiago Bernabeu is almost unfathomable.

It seems as though the player's agent, Mino Raiola, would welcome interest from Real, too, per Marca (h/t the London Evening Standard):

"

If Real Madrid want him then they should call me. Madrid are a dangerous club to move to, as the pressure can hurt players' careers, but Pogba is ready.

He is very focused on his life and his career. Nothing is insurmountable for him. I know he's liked a lot by Madrid coaches Zinedine Zidane and Carlo Ancelotti, but Paul's only thinking about Juve right now.

"

MANU FERNANDEZ/Associated Press

Indeed, while the bright lights of the Bernabeu are enough to entice any player in world football, you just wonder whether or not at this juncture a move away from Turin would be ideal for Pogba.

Despite his incredible array of attributes, he still has much to learn and is doing so with the Italian champions, per Italian football expert Adam Digby:

Joosep Martinson/Getty Images

Whether he could play with the same kind of freedom in the Spanish capital—where every display from star players is dissected with a forensic precision—is unlikely. Perhaps another season at the crux of this Bianconeri team would be best for Pogba's development before he makes a move elsewhere.

But it seems as though Raiola is intent on stirring up a whirlwind of hyperbole and speculation surrounding his client, something that reeks of laying down foundations for a bidding war this summer. If that scenario does arise at the end of the season, and if Madrid's interest is genuine, there's no way they'll be left behind in their pursuit of this engrossing footballer.