Chelsea are preparing to pull a deal off for Manchester United’s prime midfield target this season. United and manager Louis van Gaal who were in hot pursuit of French international Paul Pogba have now received a set-back in their ambition to sign the midfielder. The 21 year old midfielder, who is currently with Juventus had earlier expressed a desire to leave Italy.
According to Italian newspaper La Stampa, the Red Devils had previously launched a British record £61.25m bid for the superstar. It is believed that United had hoped to convince Pogba, who left Old Trafford in 2012 on a free transfer, to rejoin their ranks in the January transfer window by offering him a contract the wages, as high as £7m-a-year. However the Daily Express has now sparked further speculations by suggesting that Chelsea are ready to step up their interest in the Juventus powerhouse and will go all guns blazing to beat United, for his signature.
The Blues, who find themselves five points clear of Manchester City at the moment, on the top of Premier League table, wish to widen their gap at the top to clinch yet another League title. Boss Jose Mourinho is still keen to add more talent to his strong midfield ranks this month, which has produced one of the best performances in England, so far this season. According to these latest reports, the Special One has turned his attention towards the French Powerhouse now and is poised to launch a player-plus-cash deal. Reports suggest that the blues are planning a £40m bid for the superstar, along with a switch for either one of Ramires, Andre Schurrle or John Obi Mikel as part of the deal. The general director of Juventus, Giuseppe Marotta had admitted this week that it would be a tough task to keep the world class midfielder, at the club if the European giants came calling for him. Pogba has made 79 appearances for the Italian Champions till date and has scored a tally of 17 goals.