Barcelona Transfer News: Paul Pogba Interest Confirmed, Danilo Snub Revealed

Barcelona’s interest in Paul Pogba has been confirmed by Juventus director Pavel Nedved, but the former Bianconeri midfielder has reaffirmed the club’s desire to keep hold of the French sensation.

The 22-year-old star has enjoyed a magnificent campaign with the Italian champions and, while he’s currently on the sidelines with an injury, has been one of the most engrossing players to watch in European football this season. Subsequently, it's no surprise the Blaugrana are interested.

“Pogba? We know that Barca and other clubs want him but he has a contract with us,” said Nedved, per Gianluca Di Marzio. “His injury? We'll miss him a lot but we aren't complaining.”

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While potential interest from Barcelona may be tough to turn down for the Frenchman, they don’t seem to be the only ones keen on this fine young talent. The player’s agent, Mino Raiola, told Tuttosport (h/t FourFourTwo) as many as seven of European football’s most illustrious clubs want Pogba, including Real Madrid, Manchester United, Manchester City and Chelsea.

Bleacher Report's Matteo Bonetti took a look at where Pogba could end up should he leave Juve:

Juventus will naturally be keen on keeping hold of the former United man and will be hoping the player rewards the faith they placed in him. But Pogba deserves immense credit for making a huge success of his career since leaving the Red Devils and may feel he has done enough to earn a move.

As noted by Bleacher Report’s Stan Collymore, other young players should follow his example of proving themselves by playing regular football instead of pushing for an early move:

While he is immensely powerful, the Frenchman does have the technical flair to flourish at a club like Barca, but there are still refinements he needs to make to his game; refinements that would be better addressed away from the unrelenting spotlight that accompanies playing for a La Liga giant.

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As such, the Bianconeri remains the best place for Pogba to continue developing. His ascension to the very top is inevitable, but for him to make the most of his talent, he needs to be a much more rounded player before jumping ship from the Turin juggernauts.

Expect him to stick around at Juventus—a massive club in their own right, it mustn’t be forgotten—for at least another season.

Danilo Rejected Barcelona in Favour of Real Madrid

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Hugo Cerezo of Marca claims the latest star to join Barcelona’s eternal rivals rejected the chance to sign for the Blaugrana, despite the Catalans offering Porto a larger transfer fee and the opportunity to take the player back on loan.

Real confirmed the signing of the exciting Brazilian earlier in the week and, according to the piece—despite Neymar trying to convince his compatriot to come to the Camp Nou—the 23-year-old was unabated in his desire to join the Santiago Bernabeu club.

Here’s a look at why Barca supporters will be disappointed they missed out on Danilo:

The Brazilian has been superb for Porto this season, offering a constantly vibrant presence on the right-hand side. Not only is he defensively studious, but going forward he is a real menace, as illustrated by the four goals he has scored from full-back in all competitions so far this season, per WhoScored.com.

As noted by Bleacher Report’s Sam Tighe, his capture means Real have exceptional depth in that facet of their squad now:

After losing out on Martin Odegaard and Marco Asensio to Madrid, per Cerezo’s piece, not getting Danilo on board will be a big blow for Barcelona.

While they have two fine right-backs in Dani Alves and Martin Montoya, Alves could feasibly leave the club on a free transfer this summer, with his contract set to expire at the end of the season, while Montoya's agent, Juan de Dios Carrasco, has been vocal about the player's desire to leave the club, as reported by the Daily Mail.

It’s an area of the squad Luis Enrique needs to address with urgency once Barcelona’s transfer sanctions are lifted. As such, not signing Danilo—who boasts all the qualities needed to be an outstanding player for Real—will come as a major disappointment to the Catalan club.