Ever since the imminent departure of Paul Pogba from Manchester United had been announced by his agent Mino Raiola last month, speculations regarding his return to Juventus have been gaining steam. Although a January transfer would be very unlikely – especially in the current economical situation – the Bianconeri will try to land their former star in the next summer while using some of their current players as bargains to lower the Frenchman’s price.
Nonetheless, the English club won’t take the bait easily, and whilst they aren’t against a profitable player exchange that would strengthen their squad, Calciomercato reports that United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjær has refused a swap that would include Aaron Ramsey and Douglas Costa.
Although the Welshman is considered a respectable name along the English shores after a long stint at Arsenal, his injury record as well as his inconsistent form in Italy could spread some doubts for potential suitors.
The same could be said about Costa who hasn’t been able to consistently deliver in Turin, and is currently on loan at Bayern Munich, but the Bavarians are unlikely to maintain him on permanent basis since he’s mostly being used as a backup for the likes of Serge Gnabry, Kingsley Coman and Leroy Sané.
Our View
Apparently, both Manchester United and Juventus are willing to do business in the summer regarding Paul Pogba, with the player’s desire to leave playing a key part.
However, the Italian champions won’t have it easily in the negotiations with the English, and if they want to secure the return of their star man from 2012 to 2016, they must first seduce his current employers with a swap deal that would include better propositions that the likes of Ramsey and Costa.
While the report doesn’t explicitly mentions Paulo Dybala’s name, it is clear that Solskjær would only be interested in a player who is in the Argentine’s stature. And let’s not forget that La Joya was close to joining Man United in a swap deal for Romelu Lukaku in 2019.
? // I see Real Madrid at least trying to sign Pogba. Otherwise, I think Juventus is the most likely destination. He knows the club, he knows the coach. But they also need to find the right formula. It's not easy at all. @fraporzio95 via @BernabeuDgt ??♂
— Max Statman (@eMaxStatman) December 27, 2020