Barcelona Transfer News: Paul Pogba Denies House Talk, Latest Blaugrana Rumours

Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba has taken to Facebook to rubbish reports that he has bought a house in Barcelona.

As reported by FourFourTwo, when asked by somebody on his official page about the rumours he has a new property in Catalonia, the France international responded: “No house, it's invented.”

Pogba has been linked with a move to Barcelona in the past, as well as Real Madrid, Manchester United, Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain, per the same source.

The midfielder has enjoyed another wonderful season in Turin, providing the drive and guile behind a fifth successive Serie A title for Juventus.

Here is a look at some of his standout moments from the campaign:

With the UEFA European Championship looming, at which Pogba will be the star man for host nation France, the clamour surrounding this extremely gifted player is only going to grow.

FRANCK FIFE/Getty Images

That's because he can do it all. The 23-year-old is one of the most physical midfield players around, able to bully opponents off the ball and glide past defenders when driving forward in possession.

However, he also possesses the kind of technical attributes that would see him fit in tremendously at the Camp Nou, something that sets him aside from so many other midfielders.

As these numbers from Squawka prove, Pogba is a player who frequently produces moments of real quality in the final third:

While he may have ruled out the speculation himself, it’d be no shock to see some of the game’s juggernauts go after Pogba this summer, especially if he lights up his home tournament. It’d be a massive surprise if Barcelona were not one of the teams interested in him should the Bianconeri opt to sell.

It is worth remembering that Juventus are an enormous club too, regularly challenging for the top honours in Italy and improving in Europe.

The chance to be a key part of this side moving forward will surely be appealing to Pogba, especially given the Italians were the team to offer him a chance at the elite level.

Barcelona Linked with Grzegorz Krychowiak

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According to Mundo Deportivo (h/t Jamie Styles of the Daily Star), Barcelona are to rival Manchester United in pursuit of Sevilla’s star holding midfielder Grzegorz Krychowiak.

It’s suggested that Blaugrana boss Luis Enrique wants to find reliable cover for the team’s linchpin Sergio Busquets and has pinpointed the Poland international as an ideal option.

Since joining Sevilla, Krychowiak has blossomed into one of the most effective midfielders in La Liga and has been key to the club’s recent successes in the UEFA Europa League.

Here is a look at how the 26-year-old compared with Busquets in league matches during the past season:

	Busquets	Krychowiak
Apps (Sub)	34 (1)	25 (1)
Goals	0	0
Assists	4	0
Tackles per game	2.9	2.5
Interceptions per game	1.9	4.5
Dribbles per game	0.3	0.5
Passes per game	69.2	45.9
Passing accuracy	89.8 %	84.3 %

While they are stylistically contrasting players, Krychowiak would provide a different type of assurance at the base of midfield.

Busquets rarely gets his shorts dirty, as he is able to spot danger before it develops fully, swoop to intercept passes and get play moving with his exceptional ability on the ball. The Pole doesn’t have those same technical qualities, but he is combative, can carry the ball through phases and is much more committed in his defensive duties.

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Krychowiak is also an exceptional reader of the game. These statistics from WhoScored.com show just how consistent he has been in this area:

A move to Barcelona would cap a tremendous rise for the Sevilla man, as he was playing for Stade de Reims in 2014.

It’d be extremely tempting for him too, as while his current employers are regularly challenging for trophies, their model has a glass ceiling and is unlikely to yield success in the biggest competitions, such as La Liga and the UEFA Champions League.

Of course, the Blaugrana do challenge on all fronts, and that is an alluring quality. However, getting regular football will surely be the biggest priority for Krychowiak should he move on. Ousting Busquets from the team on a regular basis is almost an impossible ask.