Hold your breath football fans, GazettaWorld report that we could finally be nearing the end of the Paul Pogba rumours, with the French midfielder arriving in Manchester this weekend to undergo a medical in Manchester today whilst his future teammates fight for the Community Shield at Wembley.
These reports do directly contradict claims from Juve boss Massimiliano Allegri, who said on Saturday that the 23-year-old would be in Turin on Monday for training as expected. It seems that Allegri’s claims seem unlikely, after months of speculation and a deal seemingly nearing, but you couldn’t rule it out either.
Jose Mourinho will be hoping to have Pogba available to him as soon as possible to build up match fitness and integrate him into the team, particularly with tough fixtures against the likes of Manchester City in the opening weeks of the season.
Two players who are expected to make way for Pogba, financially and in terms of position, are Bastian Schweinsteiger and Antonio Valencia, as the Daily Star say that Besiktas are preparing a double bid for the pair, with an offer of £3 million for Schweinsteiger and £1.25 million for Valencia.
Whilst neither were expensive additions in terms of transfer fees for the Red Devils, they will be hoping to recoup some money from the deal in order to partially fund the arrival of Pogba, and Besiktas’ offer may be below expectations. The Turkish club are more than aware of the situations of both players, neither of whom have a future at Old Trafford under Mourinho, and will be hoping to snap them up at a bargain price.
Another player set to be culled by Mourinho is Northern Irish defender Paddy McNair, who rose to fame under Louis Van Gaal amid an injury crisis in 2014. The 21-year-old is being chased by a host of Premier League, Scottish Premier League and Championship clubs, including Sunderland, Burnley, Middlesbrough, Newcastle and Celtic, say the Express.
The Portuguese boss was reportedly keen on loaning McNair out to give him one last chance to impress the new gaffer before being sold, but the player wants the consistency and stability to be able to prove himself and is hoping for a permanent move, with a number of suitors happy to oblige. McNair shower potential in his debut season, but featured less last season, and with Mourinho bringing in new defenders, McNair’s chances of first team football are increasingly slim.
One youngster who could be the next big thing may well be Brentford winger Joshua Bohui, claim Metro. There has been no formal announcement of the signing of the 17-year-old, who was the London club’s top scorer for the under 19s last season, but he has been included in the Manchester United squad for the Otten Cup youth tournament, seemingly indicating that a move has been completed. Bohui is certainly one to keep an eye on in the future.
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