Manchester United Transfer News: Paul Pogba Warning, Latest Hugo Lloris Rumours

Paul Scholes feels it would be “wrong” for his former club Manchester United to re-sign Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba in the summer, per a column in The Independent.

Pogba left United three years ago for a nominal compensation amount after making just seven substitute appearances, per Soccerbase.com, during his time at Old Trafford. However, per Jason Burt of the Daily Telegraph, the France international is reported to be one of United manager Louis van Gaal’s key summer transfer targets.

With the fee for Pogba likely to be in the region of £60 million, per Burt's article, former United midfielder Scholes does not see the wisdom of his old club spending so much money to bring the player back to the Premier League. Scholes wrote in his column for The Independent: "I don’t feel they should go back to sign Pogba for the sums being talked about having lost him for the compensation payment. I understand that Chelsea did the same when they bought back Nemanja Matic from Benfica, but his fee was nothing like the numbers quoted for Pogba. It would feel wrong to me."

Scholes also acknowledged his own role in Pogba’s departure after conceding his decision to come out of retirement in early 2012 may have provided the player with another reason to seek a move in order to play regular first-team football.

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But, irrespective of Scholes’ comments, United’s prospects of re-signing Pogba are receding anyway following reports that Paris Saint-Germain have agreed a fee with Juventus, per Goal.com. Pogba met PSG chairman Nasser Al-Khelaifi earlier in the week, although Juventus general manager Beppe Marotta has insisted that the Italian club are not looking to sell, per Sky Sport Italia (via Joshua Hayward of Eurosport).

Jonathan Johnson discussed the winners and the losers of any deal that would see Pogba join PSG in the video below:

If Pogba does remain a target for United, then it will surely involve a bidding war with other leading European clubs, but that looks like something they are not expected to get involved in when it comes to Hugo Lloris.

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Per Peter O’Rourke of ESPN FC, United are not prepared to pay over the odds in order to bring Tottenham goalkeeper Lloris to the club at the end of the season. Lloris has been linked with a move to United as a replacement for David De Gea, per David McDonnell of the Daily Mirror, with the Spaniard a target for Real Madrid.

De Gea has just one more year left on his contract at United, and he has been offered a new deal. However, Van Gaal has acknowledged that De Gea is the “boss," per Jamie Jackson of The Guardian, when it comes to deciding on the offer.

Rob Dawson of the Manchester Evening News certainly thinks United have put themselves in a difficult position when it comes to the future of De Gea:

The consistency of Lloris would make him a suitable replacement for De Gea, if United are unable to agree to a new contract and Real do submit a serious offer. But it would be wrong for United to go over the top in paying too much for Lloris, especially when they have Victor Valdes in reserve.

Likewise with Pogba, there is sure to be better value had in the transfer market, and with Champions League football looking likely again next season, United shouldn’t be short of options when it comes to spending their money.