Chelsea Transfer News: Paul Pogba Deal Scuppered by Wage Demands, Latest Rumours

Chelsea reportedly turned down the chance to sign Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba last summer due to the player’s excessive wage demands.

According to Calciomercato (h/t James Cambridge of the Daily Express), following a £70 million offer being lodged by the Blues, the player’s representatives requested a five-year deal for the Frenchman that included a whopping weekly salary of £170,000.

Mino Raiola, Pogba’s agent, was said to be at the core of these negotiations, and he recently told GQ (h/t Cambridge) a move to the Blues was now unlikely.

“Not now, I don’t think so, but never rule out anything—my job is not to bring everybody to Chelsea, I'm not a taxi driver,” he said.

Here is a look back at some of the best moments from Pogba’s season, in which he helped the Bianconeri to another league title:

It’s suggested by Calciomercato that unless a “historical club” come in for Pogba of the calibre of Real Madrid or Barcelona, the player will remain with the Italian champions.

According to Cambridge, Antonio Conte’s upcoming move to Chelsea has “reignited” interest from the Blues, as the 46-year-old manager helped the midfielder develop at Juventus.

After a difficult start to the campaign, Pogba has shown stunning form in 2016, growing into his role as a leader for the team.

As these numbers from Squawka Football show, the former Manchester United man is one of the most creative players in the division:

There’s so much more to his game than ingenuity in possession, though. Despite his rangy, powerful somatotype, Pogba is elegant and balanced on the ball. It allows him to dominate midfield battles with both strength and skill, a combination few teams in Serie A have been able to cope with.

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At 23, there are definitely areas in which he can still improve, most notably his final ball and the amount of goals he scores. But encouragingly for Juve fans, under the guidance of coach Massimiliano Allegri, there are clear signs of progression.

Pogba recently outlined the kind of player he would like to grow into and offered a comparison that will fascinate Chelsea supporters, per Bleacher Report UK:

Nevertheless, the Blues seem to have missed their chance, even with Conte incoming.

Juventus are a team challenging for major honours and have shown improvements in the UEFA Champions League. At the moment, the Stamford Bridge club couldn’t offer the player promises they’d be doing the same next season.

One player who could be making the move from Chelsea to Juve is Oscar, with La Stampa (h/t Dan Gibbs of the Daily Express) having reported the two clubs are in talks about a possible transfer.

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It’s stated that the Italian side could end their interest in signing Juan Cuadrado, who is currently on loan from the Blues, in order to pursue Oscar. Allegri is said to be a big fan of the Brazil international, who continues to struggle when it comes to nailing down a regular spot in the Chelsea starting XI.

Bleacher Report’s Dean Jones reported last month the Blues will look to sell Oscar in order for Conte to pursue other targets:

In the right kind of setup, Oscar could be an extremely useful player to have in the squad. His versatility in terms of being gritty off the ball and inventive on it is a rare combination for players who operate as a No. 10. But during his career with the Blues, he’s never shown quite enough decisiveness in the final third of the field.

A new start might aid Oscar in finding that spark, as his time at Chelsea seems to be coming to a natural conclusion. Given their recent success and the style in which they play their football, Juventus could well be an ideal place to kickstart his career.