Pogba’s deal is done Paul Pogba
Paul Pogba

Paul Pogba

LONDON — Paul Pogba is set to be officially confirmed as a Manchester United player again after his world record £100million move was finally sealed yesterday.

After weeks of negotiations, United have agreed a huge fee for the Juventus star to complete Jose Mourinho’s summer spending spree.

United are eager to parade their new signing – who completed a medical in Los Angeles on Thursday and will wear the No. 6 shirt – and are set to officially announce his arrival.

It means the player who left Old Trafford for next to nothing in 2012 returns as the stellar signing of the summer – in a world record transfer which smashes the British mark by an incredible £40m.

The deal for the 23-year-old France midfielder is done after Pogba’s agent Mino Raiola held further talks with Juventus officials and lawyers in Turin on Thursday afternoon.

United and Juventus have agreed to pay a fee to Raiola with part of his 20 per cent bonus being accounted for in Pogba’s overall deal.

It is understood, however, that Juventus will announce the fee at £84.3m on account of the tax they are due to pay on the transfer. The current world record transfer fee is the £86m paid by Real Madrid to Tottenham for Gareth Bale in 2013.

Pogba had a medical in Los Angeles after his recent holiday in Florida before signing a five-year contract worth £290 000 a week.

The add-ons will include a bonus to Juventus should he renew his contract at United and another should he win the Ballon d’Or.

The France star was spotted out and about in Beverly HIlls on Thursday visiting Mr Chow – a high-end Chinese cuisine restaurant – and shopping for a new pair of shoes.

Pogba left Old Trafford in July 2012 after the then United manager Sir Alex Ferguson refused to agree to Raiola’s demands for an improved contract. Juventus paid them just £800 000 in compensation.

He becomes United’s fourth signing since Jose Mourinho was appointed as manager, following defender Eric Bailly, striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic and attacking midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan.

The previous transfer record paid by a British club was the £59.7m United forked out for Argentina winger Angel Di Maria from Real Madrid in August 2014.

The news came late on Mourinho’s “clear-out Thursday”, when German World Cup winner Bastian Schweinsteiger, 31, became the highest-profile victim as a host of players were told they can leave the club, either permanently or on loan.

Pogba’s transfer will dwarf the £85m Real paid Tottenham for Welsh wizard Gareth Bale in 2013.

What makes the signing even more astonishing is that Pogba left United for nothing in 2012 after failing to agree a new deal at Old Trafford.

He went on to help Juve win a hat-trick of Serie A titles and reach the Champions League final to become one of the best midfielders in Europe.

United made Pogba their No.1 transfer target once Jose Mourinho agreed to succeed Louis van Gaal as boss.

Mourinho has been on a mission to make some marquee signings as he begins the challenge of making United the most successful club in Europe again.

He has landed Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Eric Bailly and Henrikh Mkhitaryan this summer but the arrival of Pogba will be the most important one of all.

Mourinho wants to build his new look side around him and his arrival is set to coincide with the shock exit of German World Cup winner Bastian Schweinsteiger.

Mourinho held talks with several members of his squad on Thursday to tell them they would be leaving at Old Trafford with Schweinsteiger the most high-profile victim of the cull.

Mourinho wants to reduce his first team squad to 24 and reckons Schweinsteiger is now surplus to requirements.

The World Cup winner only joined United last summer from Bayern Munich in a £13m deal, but endured a miserable first season at Old Trafford.

He failed to make an impact due to injuries and poor form and United are now willing to sell him to the highest bidder to get the £160 000-a-week star off the wage bill.

Schweinsteiger is one of nine stars set to leave United either permanently or on-loan, with others including Adnan Januzaj, Cameron Borthwick-Jackson, Andreas Pereira, Will Keane, James Wilson and Paddy McNair.

* Ibrahimovic took part in his first United training session ahead of today’s friendly against Galatasary in Gothenburg. — The Daily Mail

You Might Also Like

Comments