Manchester United Transfer News: Paul Pogba Was Offered to Manchester City

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has made the remarkable claim that Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba was offered to the club in the January transfer window by his agent, Mino Raiola.

On the eve of the Manchester derby between the two sides at the Etihad Stadium, Guardiola commented on Raiola, a figure who he has always shared a fractious relationship with. Recently, the agent called the City boss a "coward" and a "dog," per Neil Moxley of the Daily Mirror.

As relayed by Jason Burt of the Daily Telegraph, Guardiola has issued his retort, suggesting the representative offered Pogba and Henrikh Mkhitaryan to City in the midseason window.

"I never speak with him (Raiola) so his influence on my opinion, so I don't know maybe [Zlatan Ibrahimovic] explain many things about me. 

"But being a guy like two months ago he offered me [Henrikh] Mkhitaryan and Pogba to play with us. Why? Why he offer? He was interested in Mkhitaryan and Pogba to play with us?

" ... Pogba is an incredible player. A top, top player...I said no. We don't have the money enough to buy Pogba because he is so expensive."

After the quotes emerged, the Red Devils star posted the following snap on his Twitter account:

Per Duncan Castles of the Daily Record, Raiola denied he'd conversed with Guardiola. "I never spoke to Guardiola," he said. "I would not speak to him about players, I would speak to Manchester City. They are a fantastic club with a fantastic manager."

While Pogba remains a United player, Mkhitaryan moved to Arsenal in a straight swap deal with Alexis Sanchez.

As noted by Burt, the genesis of the feud between Guardiola and Raiola is the coach's falling out with Ibrahimovic during their time together at the Camp Nou.

In reference to Raiola's recent quotes, the City manager said "so like a dog, he comes to want his players to come to here. So, no. No way."

Jan Kruger/Getty Images

It was reported by James Robson of the Manchester Evening News earlier this year that City held an interest in the France international before Guardiola arrived:

There has been some speculation about Jose Mourinho and Pogba jarring this term, especially when the United boss left the club's record signing out of both matches against Sevilla in the last 16 of the UEFA Champions League.

Speaking to Telefoot (h/t Zinny Boswell of Sky Sports), the former Juventus man said he has "no problem" with Mourinho and was not looking for a way out of United.

According to Simon Stone of BBC Sport, the Red Devils would not have entertained offers anyway:

The comments from Guardiola will add further fuel to what is already poised to be a fiery atmosphere at the Etihad between two of the game's great rivals.

Pogba and his Manchester United team-mates will be desperate to prevent City from winning, as three points in the late kickoff would be enough for Guardiola's side to clinch the Premier League title. United head into Week 33 of the Premier League second in the table.