Pogba tells Juve he wants to leave for Man United

Paul Pogba has told Juventus he wants to leave the club to join Manchester United, according to multiple reports in Italy.

The speculation comes amid claims Manchester United executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward has missed the club’s trip to China to open negotiations.

La Gazzetta dello Sport dedicated the first three pages of Wednesday’s edition to the claims that the 23-year-old is set to move on, with the front-page headline reading: “Pogba has decided: dear Juve, let me go.”

The Italian daily said Pogba has already agreed terms with United and has told the Serie A club that he wants to return to the Premier League club.

Il Corriere dello Sport also leads with the news that Pogba is “returning to Manchester for €125 million,” while Turin-based Tuttosport says the France international has “asked to leave.”

According to Tuttosport, Pogba will sign a “crazy contract” lasting five years that will double his current salary.

Despite agent Mino Raiola denying to Goal.com on Tuesday that talks were underway, a number of reports in the United Kingdom and Italy have also claimed that United began negotiations with Juve on Tuesday.

United boss Jose Mourinho flew out to China with a 25-man squad on Tuesday but multiple outlets, including the BBC and The Times, report that Woodward stayed behind.

Sky Sport Italia reported on Tuesday that Woodward and Raiola met with Juve general manager Beppe Marotta to offer €101m (£85m) but were told they would have to increase their bid to around €120m (£100.8m).

The Guardian similarly reported that Juve had rejected an offer of £87m (€103.5m), with an additional £13m in performance-related add-ons, with the Bianconeri said to have requested £100m (€119m), with an additional £8m (€9.5m) in add-ons.

Sources told ESPN FC last month that United were happy to persist with a bid for Pogba despite the prospect of a £100m price tag.

Real Madrid are reported to have pulled out of the race to sign Pogba due to the cost of the deal, and coach Zinedine Zidane said this week: “I am happy with the squad I have got and it’s difficult to improve on it. He’s a very good player and every club wants the best players, but right now he’s at Juve and we have a large squad already.”

Pogba, who left Old Trafford for Juventus on a free transfer in 2012, had been coy about the prospect of a move to United or Madrid when speaking to ESPN last week, saying: “For the moment, I am here [Juventus] and I am happy here. I don’t know where I want to go.”

-Report by soccernet.com