Paul Pogba Was Subject of €85m Barcelona Bid, According to Agent Mino Raiola

Mino Raiola, agent of Juventus star Paul Pogba, has revealed Barcelona unsuccessfully tried to prise him away from Turin in the summer for €85 million—and he believes a world-record sum will be needed to land the Frenchman.

According to Gazzetta World, Raiola told RMC Sports:

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Everyone knows that Pogba was [Barcelona presidential candidate] Joan Laporta’s main target. Whether it is Laporta or whether it is someone else, it remains a possibility.

Juventus met with Barcelona but they weren’t able to take him in the end because they are banned from signing players until January. Paul chose to remain, for at least another year.

In future we will see, the door is open to all clubs. The player has a very high cost though. In the summer, Juventus rejected an €85 million offer from the Blaugrana.

That is not enough: Juventus valuate the player at €100 million. The top Spanish and English clubs [could] pay this, but Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich shouldn’t be excluded.

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It's hardly surprising Pogba chose to remain with the Bianconeri for another year given he wouldn't have been able to feature for the Blaugrana until January.

Further, Juventus would naturally have been resolute in their desire to keep hold of him after seeing fellow midfield stars Andrea Pirlo and Arturo Vidal depart over the summer.

Manu Fernandez/Associated Press

Equally unsurprising is Barcelona's desire to secure the 22-year-old after the departure of Xavi Hernandez and with Andres Iniesta now the wrong side of 30.

Normally, Barca would turn to their famed La Masia academy, and indeed, the club has some highly promising prospects in central midfield such as Sergi Roberto and Alen Halilovic—the latter in particular.

However, the Blaugrana are increasingly showing willingness to splash the cash on ready-made stars such as Luis Suarez and Arda Turan, and as arguably the most sought-after youngster in world football, Pogba represents a logical target.

Massimo Pinca/Associated Press

BeIN Sports' Matteo Bonetti is one of the France international's many admirers:

Spanish football expert Sergi Dominguez is also a fan, but he believes Barca could be better served using their transfer funds elsewhere:

A bidding war next summer seems virtually inevitable, and after seeing the fees thrown around for the likes Suarez and, before him, Gareth Bale, Juve will undoubtedly target a similar return for their star midfielder.

As Raiola notes, Barca are one of the few clubs that could afford the Frenchman, and with them seemingly prepared to offer a high eight-figure sum for his services, €100 million doesn't seem like too much of a stretch.

If they aren't willing to go the extra mile to land Pogba, you can bet someone else will.