Manchester United Transfer News: Paul Pogba Deal Close, Latest Rumours

Manchester United reportedly hope to complete a world-record deal to sign Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba in the next 48 hours. If the signing goes through, Pogba will become the most expensive player ever, and one of this summer's most arduous transfer sagas will be brought to a merciful end.

United have pursued Pogba intensely since Jose Mourinho succeeded Louis van Gaal as manager. Now the Old Trafford club is inching toward a resolution, with the Guardian's Fabrizio Romano and Mark Dobson providing key details about the hotly tipped deal:

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United have lodged a fresh offer of around €110m with €10m in add-ons (equivalent to £100m in total) and Juventus are also insisting on a future payment of around €5m if Pogba extends his contract with José Mourinho’s side.

With the deal now in place, United are in advanced talks with Pogba’s agent Mino Raiola about his €20m fee which Juventus have insisted United must pay in full before the transfer is completed.

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These rapid developments have come barely hours after Real Madrid appeared to be well and truly back in the race to sign Pogba. Los Blancos manager Zinedine Zidane refused to rule out a bid from the 11-time European champions, per Jamie Jackson of the Guardian.

Manu Fernandez/Associated Press

ESPN FC's Miguel Delaney even reported Real officials have made "initial contact" with Juve to explore a possible deal. Put together with the report Pogba's agent, Mino Raiola, had cancelled a United medical for the player on Tuesday, per Spanish publication AS (h/t Goal's Oliver Platt), and the Red Devils' chances had begun to look shaky.

Frankly, the latest back-and-forth across the rumour mill is just typical of this labyrinth transfer saga. Yet, if United's deal is back on firmer ground, it's time for the club's fans to consider what they'll be getting for such a lavish fee.

It's been easy to scoff at United smashing the vault to bring back a player they let go in 2012. It's been easy to tut at the fee Mourinho and Co. have been willing to offer.

Those unable to look past the fee, simply a symptom of a grossly inflated market, have forgotten one thing. Namely, that Pogba is a supremely talented player.

He exudes levels of physical domination and technical skill not seen in a midfielder in the Premier League since the days when Patrick Vieira was helping Arsenal cause United a few headaches.

United are offering big money, but they're offering big money for a player widely expected to quickly mature into the game's most influential midfield talisman for the next decade.

It's a lofty expectation, but one new Paris Saint-Germain signing, Hatem Ben Arfa, believes Pogba can fulfill. Speaking to French source Le Parisien (h/t Marc Williams of the Daily Star), Ben Arfa said: "If Manchester United are investing so much into him, it’s because they know what they’re doing. Of course, Paul will have a lot of responsibilities due to it, but I have faith in him. I think he’ll be able to impose himself very quickly."

Pogba has the core qualities to justify all the hype. Even so, it's important to remember United would be paying for what the player can become, not what he is now.

Pogba may have thrived for Juventus in Serie A, but he's still raw and needs greater consistency. Of course, those things are easily in the reach of a gifted youngster still only 23.

On a more specific and immediate level, Pogba could give Mourinho the goalscoring, box-to-box player his midfield three will need. In essence, the Frenchman can offer the same aptitude in front of goal Frank Lampard provided Mourinho's best Chelsea teams.

Mark Schiefelbein/Associated Press

More important, though, Pogba's powerful engine and long, Vieira-like strides would help Mourinho's new-look team transition defence into attack in a flash. Such blink-of-an-eye switches in play are vital to the counter-attacking game Mourinho loves.

Surrounded by Wayne Rooney, Anthony Martial, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Pogba could make United lethal on the break this season and beyond, provided the club can finally push this deal over the line.