Manchester City Transfer News: Paul Pogba Deal 'Close,' Raheem Sterling Latest

Manchester City are reportedly nearing a big-money move for in-demand Juventus star Paul Pogba, per the latest reports.

According to Ken Lawrence of the Sun (h/t James Whaling of the Mirror) "Manuel Pellegrini believes he has beaten off Manchester United, Barcelona and Real Madrid to capture the most sought-after young star in football" in a deal thought to be worth £60 million.

Juventus managing director Giuseppe Marotta spoke recently on Pogba's future, claiming the Frenchman is content to stay in Turin. Speaking to Corriere dello Sport (via ESPN FC), he said:

"

The player is off the market if he doesn't say he wants to leave. The will of the player is fundamental in football and it will be for Pogba as well.

I repeat, we do not want to sell Pogba and he said today that [he] will not leave. If in the future he shows the desire to leave us, we must support him while protecting our financial interests.

"

Nevertheless, Europe's biggest clubs remain keen to land the youngster's signature and will continue to be linked with him throughout the summer.

City are one of the small number of clubs who could afford Pogba's services, and Whaling reports the Frenchman would earn £200,000 per week were he to join Pellegrini's side.

A disappointing season at the Etihad saw the Citizens fall away from eventual champions Chelsea and finish eight points behind the Blues.

Martin Meissner/Associated Press

A squad overhaul and an injection of youthful talent is needed to replace City's ageing stars, and Pogba would fit the bill perfectly, as well as provide an opportunity to get one over on arch-rivals Manchester United, who let the midfielder slip through their fingers on a free transfer.

The Guardian's James Horncastle places Pogba in high regard:

The 22-year-old's vision, drive to get forward and incredible engine make him well-suited to the Premier League, and a lineup including Pogba, David Silva and Sergio Aguero is one that would unnerve even the most fearless of defences.

Should Pogba leave Juventus, Barcelona, Real Madrid or Chelsea would likely prove more tempting prospects given their more successful forays in the Champions League.

However, if City can sway the youngster they will send out a powerful statement regarding their intention to permanently join those clubs as one of Europe's elite.

Whaling also noted that City will make a "final approach" for Liverpool's Raheem Sterling.

Darko Bandic/Associated Press

Sterling is keen to depart Anfield and has plenty of options to choose from regarding his next club.

Per Rob Shepherd of the Daily Mail, the youngster is thought to prefer a move to London, but he would make a good signing for City.

Having scored eight goals and made eight assists in all competitions last season, the 20-year-old is already showing he can effectively contribute going forward, and this will no doubt continue to develop as he becomes more experienced.

Further, thanks to the likes of Aguero and Wilfried Bony leading the line for City, Sterling would not be forced to play up front as he so often was for Liverpool.

This would allow him to feature behind the striker, which would ease the reliance on him to score goals. Sterling's finishing is one of the weaker areas of his game, but without the pressure to lead the line he may find himself more composed when presented with chances to score.

The Sterling saga is set to rumble on, however, so it's unlikely to come to a conclusion until later in the transfer window.

The youngster appears to have his pick of the top clubs in England, so it seems more likely that he will find himself at Arsenal or Chelsea, but with City's need for youthful talent and the money at their disposal, don't rule them out just yet.