Manchester City are leading the race to sign Paul Pogba from Juventus as the midfielder believes Pep Guardiola can make him the best player in world football, according to Squawka.
Pogba is expected to leave Juventus this summer and the Italian champions will demand more than £80 million for a player who has been continually linked with Europe’s leading clubs.
City tried to sign Pogba last summer and have stayed in contact with both Juventus and the 23-year-old’s representatives with a view to a fresh move at the end of this season.
Guardiola has told Manchester City executives that Pogba is his top target when he takes over from Manuel Pellegrini as the club’s manager in June and director of football Txiki Begiristain has been tasked with securing the transfer.
Pogba is under contract at Juventus until 2019 but the Serie A giants are resigned to his departure this summer, especially as the France international has now settled a complicated image rights dispute with a former agent.
City would certainly need to qualify for next season’s Champions League to sign Pogba, but the midfielder is understood to be enthusiastic about the prospect of learning from Guardiola.
Pogba was named football’s best young player last month in Squawka’s 23 Under 23 and his agent Mino Raiola spoke about his desire to one day win the Ballon d’Or.
“Can he win the Ballon d’Or? He has ambitions to be the best player he can be and reach the top of the world,” Raiola said.
“He is a natural winner. He has a fantastic personality on and off the pitch. He works very hard on his game so it is good to see his football recognised in this way.”
Sources close to Pogba have since told Squawka that he feels playing under Guardiola would provide his best chance of fulfilling his potential because of the current Bayern Munich coach’s reputation for improving players.
Barcelona were long considered favourites to sign Pogba from Juventus but would struggle to afford the transfer fee and wages due to Uefa’s financial fair play restrictions, with their priority to agree an extension to Neymar’s contract.
Paris Saint-Germain are also long-term admirers of Pogba but sources have denied rumours of a meeting last week when the central midfielder was in the French capital for a commercial engagement.
Chelsea manager-in-waiting Antonio Conte has phoned Pogba about the possibility of a move to Stamford Bridge, but the west London club’s poor campaign is likely to rule them out of the race, while there is too much bad blood with Manchester United for a return to the club he left in 2012.
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