Barcelona Transfer News: Latest Rumours on Paul Pogba and Marc Bartra

Barcelona presidential candidate Agusti Benedito has admitted he has spoken to Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba about the possibility of bringing him to the Camp Nou if he wins next month's club election.

Benedito told 8TV (h/t Joe Mewis of the Mirror): "I have spoken to Pogba. First I contacted (Juve president) Andrea Agnelli then spoke directly with the player. They have proposed an annual salary of €12 million after tax and a transfer fee of €80 million."

Mewis reports that Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City are also interested in the Frenchman, who has thrust himself onto the global stage since leaving Manchester United on a free in 2012.

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Blaugrana President Josep Maria Bartomeu previously announced, "Pogba is a great player and it's true he is one of our objectives," per Telefoot (h/t Football Italia).

The 22-year-old was easily dominated during the recent 3-1 Champions League final loss to Barca, but he continues to show the sort of potential that suggests he could become one of the world's best.

Pogba's quality stems from his possession of a wide range of attributes. He is a hard worker who loves to tackle, distribute the ball and advance up the pitch. He's also difficult to beat in the air and can score a variety of goals, some of which are highlighted below:

Luis Enrique has instilled an increased sense of combativeness and physicality into Barca's play, making Pogba the ideal signing to take over for Andres Iniesta as he begins to slow down.

A powerful, driving force from the middle—next to Sergio Busquets and Ivan Rakitic—could be a beneficial avenue for the Catalan club to explore over the coming years. Enrique is building the type of side in which Yaya Toure, who was sold to Manchester City in 2010, would excel. 

Some significant departures could occur over the next year, especially when Barca's transfer ban is lifted in January 2016. Sky Sports' sources suggest Tottenham Hotspur are interested in acquiring centre-back Marc Bartra, who struggled to make an impression during Enrique's debut season as boss.

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"There is interest in Marc from England and other countries in Europe," said Javier Diaz, the player's agent, per Lyall Thomas and Aidan Magee of Sky Sports. "This is normal, but I cannot speak about the clubs. He is happy at Barcelona but he wants to play more games and we will look at the options. He has a €12m release clause in his contract."

However, Diaz recently told FC Inter News (h/t Richard Parry of the London Evening Standard) that Bartra's price will more than double when the month ends: "His release clause has fallen to €12m after failing to make a certain number of appearances, but that's only until July 1, when it goes back up to €30m."

Over £21 million for the 24-year-old who made just 11 La Liga starts last season would be excessive from Spurs' point of view. Ariedo Braida, Barca's international sporting director, told FC Inter News (h/t AS): "We have no intention of transferring him, therefore, I consider him to be a player who is unavailable."

Bartra's playing time may be cut even further if Belgian defender Thomas Vermaelen can put together a prolonged run of fitness. Like many at the Camp Nou, his value remains high while the club cannot replace any outgoing players. B/R UK's Jonathan Johnson recently looked at how the Spanish champions can operate through the summer:

The 2014-15 treble run suggests Barca are once again heading toward an era of continental dominance. Signing Pogba would only reinforce this.

Enrique's brand of football hasn't always impressed supporters, but nobody can argue with him winning three trophies in his first year, especially after Gerardo Martino's reign. His next job will be to continue hunting the club's next generation of stars while ridding the squad of unnecessary players, perhaps starting with the sale of Bartra.