Manchester United propose unofficial swap deal
Paul Pogba’s predicted move away from Old Trafford may soon come to pass after it emerged that Manchester United may look to strike a deal with the Serie A side.
The Italians have registered interest in United target Granit Xhaka and in a bid to clinch the Swiss midfielder’s signature, the Red Devils may agree to letting Pogba go if they manage to bring in a target of their own.
The doubt over Pogba’s future under Sir Alex Ferguson first emerged in late 2011 when it became apparent that the player could be seeking higher wages and with his contract set to run our this summer, was reportedly threatening to leave if he didn’t get his wish.
Juventus has always appeared as the most likely destination for Pogba should he leave Manchester United, however Chelsea and bitter Untied rivals Manchester City are also possible route for the Frenchman.
Before agreeing a pre-contract agreement with Bayern Munich, fellow Basel youngster Xherdan Shaqiri was another player being associated with a Premier League switch.
The 20 year-old will now move to the Allianz Arena at the end of the current campaign though and Sir Alex Ferguson seems to have increased his interest in teammate Xhaka.
The teenager has made 22 starts for Basel this season, playing a big role in leading them to the summit of the Swiss top flight.
In that space of time, Xhaka has scored two goals and made two assists and while those statistics aren’t quite as impressive as last season’s, the potential is certainly there.
Pogba’s exit from United would free up space for another central midfielder in the Red Devils squad and with Juventus unlikely to go in for both starlets, they may be tempted to agree to United’s apparent proposition.
Xhaka would be expected to command a fee of around £10m but seeing as Pogba would leave on a free, the finances may not add up for Ferguson’s side and a lot of the deal would ride on contract clauses and side payments.
