Paul Pogba in talks to sign for Real Madrid and two other clubs, confirms agent

Pogba has been heavily linked with Madrid since Zidane’s appointment as coach at the turn of the year, and Mino Raiola finally brought light to the speculation by revealing talks were under way between him and Los Blancos.

“We’re in the first stage of negotiations,” he told Marca.

“Paul admires Real Madrid and Zinedine Zidane, and these two aspects can be very important in their decision...

"We are talking with three teams and Paul likes the sporting projects of some of those."

Raiola did not go into details about the other two clubs with whom contact has been made, but threw out a series of possible suitors.

"It's not a secret. Each year I meet with Real Madrid but also with (Manchester) United, Barcelona, (Manchester) City, Liverpool... it's my job," he said.

"Paul dreams of winning the Ballon d'Or... Real Madrid is a fantastic club to achieve that," he added when pressed on Real Madrid specifically.

Marca claims that "any deal taking him to the Champions League holders would surely have to represent a new world record figure, just as that of Zinedine Zidane between the same clubs in 2001."

A figure of at least €100 million has been widely touted, despite largely underwhelming performances at Euro 2016 from the ex-Manchester United player.

Raiola, one of the game's 'super-agents', with a staggering list of clients, did nothing to dispel such talk.

"Paul is worth what a club is prepared to pay for him," he added, before then hastily pretending that the "project" was more important than the money on the table.

"Pogba's interest is not in being the most expensive signing and neither is it mine," Raiola said.

"The aim is for him to join the best sporting project and win as many titles as possible."

Another Spanish publication, Sport, claims that Raiola may actually prove to be the stumbling block for any move due to his insistence on a high commission, which they claim could see the deal balloon from the €100m mark to €270m.

Marca adds Juve will use the money recouped from Pogba’s sale to target Valencia’s Andre Gomes and Barcelona’s Javier Mascherano.

A deal for Pogba has long been touted ever since the French playmaker emerged at Juventus as one of the world's finest players. But will he really go? Serie A's lack of financial clout means that bigger wages will always be on the cards in La Liga or the Premier League - even mighty Juventus have only been paying Pogba £65,000 a week in the last couple of seasons.

Until now, the regular silverware - and the free-roaming role - has presumably kept Juventus's star asset happy. But having won four consecutive Scudettos and two Coppa Italia titles, as well as earning a spot in the Champions League final last year, what is there left for Pogba to do in Turin?

At 23 he could make a vast amount of money with a move - and given how he engineered his exit from United in order to line his pockets and improve his chances of fame, it's difficult to see any other outcome than Pogba joining Real this summer.

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