United reportedly had a record-breaking £86 million ($113 million, 102 million euros) offer for Pogba rejected this week, but they are expected to return with an improved bid that could reach £100 million.
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United’s tour begins on Friday when they play Borussia Dortmund in Shanghai before meeting Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City in a hugely anticipated game in Beijing’s Bird’s Nest Stadium on Monday.
Undeterred, United will go back in again with a steely determination to capture Pogba, who is now away on holiday in Miami alongside another of Raiola’s clients, Romelu Lukaku.
United have been chasing the Frenchman all summer and are set to have his signature if he decides to leave the Serie A champions.
The report claimed Mino Raiola, Pogba’s agent, is now in Manchester, where he will discuss the possible transfer with United, as rumours were The Old Lady’s resolve was beginning to crumble.
Pogba refused to publicly clarify his future in a brief interview on ESPN at the ESPYs awards in Los Angeles last week, where he was asked what he would do if Mourinho called him. Add in the added factor that United were guilty of undervaluing him a few years ago and let him go, but the great seducer Mourinho may have helped overcome that bad memory. “Do I like Pogba? We’ll see, we’ll see”. “For the moment I’m at Juve and I’m happy”.
The France worldwide is United’s primary transfer target this summer, following the signings of Eric Bailly, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Henrikh Mkhitaryan.
Real Madrid had also expressed interest in the striker but talks fell through – even though Pogba expressed a preference for the Spanish side over United.
“We made a nucleus of four priorities, four positions, priorities”, he explained.
In Italian football, the so-called plusvalenze dictate the financial health of the club, so making such a massive profit on a single player in a four-year window will bolster their coffers for years to come.
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In an interview with Copa90 (h/t ESPN), former Manchester United captain Rio Ferdinand spoke about the Pogba scenario and the impact that he would make should he move to the Premier League.
