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Juventus Reportedly Willing to Make 1st-Team Sales to Fund Paul Pogba Move
July 29, 2018
Juventus reportedly want to bring Manchester United star Paul Pogba back to Turin this summer, and to do so, they are prepared to offload Gonzalo Higuain, Miralem Pjanic, Daniele Rugani and Mattia Caldara.
According to Simon Mullock of the Mirror, the Bianconeri believe they can generate around £200 million from the sale of those players, which they could use not only to balance the books after spending £99.75 million on Cristiano Ronaldo but also to fund a move for Pogba.
Juve, who have their sights set on UEFA Champions League glory, are said to want to pair up the France international with their new star signing.
Pogba left Juventus to return to United in 2016, though following his return to Old Trafford, he has struggled to consistently produced the kind of form he showed in Serie A.
He played a key role in France's FIFA World Cup victory this summer, though. OptaJean shared the numbers behind his excellent tournament:
The 25-year-old capped the World Cup with a goal in the final, which saw him start a move with a sublime pass to Kylian Mbappe before charging into the final third and coolly finishing it off.
Not only was his creativity and goalscoring threat on display, but he showcased his defensive work rate too, as football writer Liam Canning noted:
The midfielder also emerged as a leader in Les Bleus' dressing room, per ESPN's Alex Shaw:
These qualities will ensure he's key to United's success next season, so while his club form has occasionally been found wanting, the Red Devils will most likely want to keep hold of him for at least another year to see whether they can coax the best out of him.
Likewise, it's easy to see why Juve might want him back, particularly after signing Ronaldo—the pair could become a devastating combination were they to develop an understanding.
However, while it would hardly be surprising if the Italian giants were to let Higuain leave this summer, given Ronaldo will be taking on the responsibility of scoring the bulk of the team's goals, selling cultured midfielder Pjanic and two top defensive prospects as well could be a questionable move.
Pogba is an excellent player, but so is Pjanic. Rugani and Caldara, meanwhile, could become the heart of Juventus' defence in the coming years given Andrea Barzagli is 37 and Giorgio Chiellini will turn 34 in August.