Manchester United are set to break the world record for the largest transfer fee in football history by dishing out $176 million (€120 million) to sign Paul Pogba.
While Pogba is on duty captaining the French national team at Euro 2016, Italian football correspondent Tancredi Palmeri tweeted he has agreed to personal terms with United, reportedly worth $19 million AUD (€13 million) in annual wages. Such a number would be roughly three times Pogba’s current salary at Juventus.
Juventus still needs to accept the transfer fee from United for the deal to happen. However if everything goes ahead, it would mark a monumental reversal in fortunes for Pogba at United. The Frenchman first popped up on the global scene when he was playing for the Red Devils, but he left Manchester for Juventus in 2012 on a free transfer.
The proposed $176 million would comfortably eclipse the previous world record of $146 million paid by Real Madrid to Tottenham to secure Gareth Bale in 2013, while also dwarfing the figure paid for Cristiano Ronaldo (United to Madrid, €96 million).
It would also mark the second time since the turn of the century that Juventus have been on the receiving end of a world record transfer fee. Back in 2001, Real Madrid paid the Turin-based club a then-record €76 million for Zinedine Zidane.
Should the deal be finalised, Pogba will be the fourth player to sign for United since the arrival of new manager Jose Mourinho, following in the footsteps of Eric Bailly, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
All confirmed: Manchester United reached agreement with Pogba for 13m€ wages per year and will bid 120m€
— Tancredi Palmeri (@tancredipalmeri) July 6, 2016
Manchester United are ready to pay €120m [£103m] for Paul Pogba. It will be a world-record transfer. This is happening. (Source: Various)
— Transfer News Live (@DeadlineDayLive) July 6, 2016
That man @DiMarzio reports #mufc have an agreement in principle with Paul Pogba and are readying a bid for him. pic.twitter.com/ss37m7nmUD
— Full Time DEVILS (@FullTimeDEVILS) July 6, 2016
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