Man Utd could land Paulo Dybala in sensational swap transfer with Juventus for wantaway Paul Pogba
MANCHESTER UNITED could land Paulo Dybala in a sensational swap with Juventus for wantaway Paul Pogba, according to reports.
On Monday, Pogba’s agent Mino Raiola revealed the 2018 World Cup winner’s time at Old Trafford was ‘over’.
And now United could land Dybala – a transfer target in the summer of 2019 – in exchange for Pogba, according to The Athletic.
Last year, Pogba, 27, revealed he was looking for a ‘new challenge’, with Real Madrid believed to be his favoured landing spot.
But now it’s most-likely Pogba will head back to Turin, where he enjoyed the best four years of his career between 2012 and 2016.
Dybala, 27, is struggling to nail down a regular starting spot in Andrea Pirlo’s starting XI, with Cristiano Ronaldo and Alvaro Morata the main men this season.
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It’s even claimed the Argentine has been offered to United, Arsenal and Chelsea in a bid to force a 2021 transfer.
But Pirlo is desperate to continue his midfield revamp, and having played alongside Pogba at Juve is believed to view the Frenchman as the perfect addition.
Raiola said: “I can say that it’s over for Paul Pogba at Manchester United.”
He went on to say that it is time for United’s board to stop skirting around the subject and sell him soon before he becomes a free agent.
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Pogba’s current deal is up in 18 months, with Raiola insisting his client has no intention of signing an extension.
Raiola continued: “It is useless to go around it… it’s better to speak clearly, look ahead and not waste time looking for culprits.
“Paul at Manchester United is unhappy, he is no longer able to express himself as he would like and as expected of him.
“He has to change teams, he has to change the air.
“He has a contract that will expire in a year and a half, in the summer of 2022, but I think the best solution for the parties is to sell in the next market.
“Otherwise, the Old Trafford club, with whom relations are excellent, knows well that they would risk losing him on a free transfer, given that for the moment it is not the player’s intention to extend the contract.
“If someone doesn’t understand it, they understand very little about football.
“In any case, let them blame me if Paul leaves next summer.”
Raiola’s comments are believed to have infuriating Man Utd chiefs, according to The Athletic.
United have a tempestuous relationship with the Italian-born Dutchman, with Sir Alex Ferguson famously ‘distrusting’ the super-agent, even once calling him a ‘s*** bag’.
Meanwhile, Dybala has featured in just six matches in all competitions for Juve this season, failing to score or register an assist in Serie A.
The Argentine had appeared to be on the brink of a move to Old Trafford in August 2019 only for the deal to fall apart after his agent was claimed to have demanded a £13.7m payment to buy image rights from a third party.