By Luke Blake
Manchester United are set to launch an audacious £100m bid to sign Juventus and France star Paul Pogba.
The 23-year-old French international is preparing for tonight’s encounter with World Champions Germany for a place in the Euro 2016 final, but is understood to have communicated his interest in a return to The Red Devils to his representatives.
New manager Jose Mourinho could be a pivotal factor in Pogba’s decision with the Portuguese boss having already signalled his intent at the club by signing Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Eric Bailly and most recently Henrikh Mkhitaryan.
Pogba is regarded as one of the best players in the world by many, with ex-United legend Ryan Giggs claiming a player of Pogba’s ability should be snapped up by the club. “He’s a talented player, he can shoot and pass with both feet. Physically he’s immense. He has got everything”.
Manchester United, of course, is the club where Pogba infamously fell out with then manager Sir Alex Ferguson due to a lack of first team game time. In Ferguson’s recent autobiography, he recount the events which transpired in Pogba leaving for the Turin club. “There are one or two football agents I simply do not like, and Mino Raiola, Paul Pogba’s agent is one of them. I distrusted him from the moment I met him.
“We had Paul under a three-year contract, and it had a one-year renewal option which we were eager to sign.
“Raiola suddenly appeared on the scene and our first meeting was a fiasco. He and I were like oil and water.
“From then our goose was cooked because Raiola had been able to integrate himself with Paul and his family and the player signed with Juventus.”
Pogba has made 174 appearances for the Old Lady since signing in 2012, winning five consecutive Serie A titles and a Champions League runners-up medal.
