The Pogba ultimatum: put up or shut up, says agent

Make him happy, says Pogba's agent, as Arsenal, Chelsea and Man Utd circle the Juventus star

Paul Pogba of Juventus
(Image credit: Valerio Pennicino/Getty )

Will Theo Walcott be a Liverpool player next season? That's the main topic of conversation in Transfer Talk this morning, although there's a welcome return for Paul Pogba, a regular of this column, who once more is being linked with the Premier League.

Paul Pogba's agent has thrown down the gauntlet to all the clubs pursuing his client. The 22-year-old French playmaker is one of the most prized assets in the game, with Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United among those chasing his signature. But The Express reports that in conversation with French sports daily, L'Equipe, agent Mino Raiola said the Juventus player values quality of life as much as he does cold, hard cash. "If another club wants Pogba they need to shows us, and I'm not talking about money," explained Raiola. "Paul will go where he will feel good, where he will be happy."

• According to the Daily Star Arsenal and Manchester United "face fresh competition" for the hand of Paris Saint-Germain sharpshooter star Edison Cavani, and guess who it comes from… Juventus – perhaps looking to spend the money they make on offloading Pogba. Cavani is reportedly "unsettled" in the French capital and United have been mooted as suitors for the 28-year-old Uruguayan, wanting to bring him in as a replacement for the under-performing Radamel Falcao. Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger is known to be an admirer but reports from Italy suggest Juventus are primed to table a big money offer in June as they prepare for life without Pogba.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

• Arsenal may have some spare cash to throw Pogba's way if reports that Theo Walcott is on his way out prove true. The Daily Telegraph says the Gunners are unwilling to give the winger a rise on his £100,000-a-week wages when his contract expires at the end of the year. Liverpool might be interested in taking him off Arsenal's hands, it seems, if they lose Raheem Sterling. Click here for all the Arsenal transfer news.

• Chelsea will look to bolster their ranks in the summer by bringing in Atletico Madrid midfielder Koke, and according to Metro the Blues "could use Filipe Luis as bait" in the deal. Chelsea gaffer Jose Mourinho is a fan of Koke's and, even though he signed a new long-term deal with Madrid last June, the Special One is keen to snare the 23-year-old this summer. The Spain international has a huge £48 million release clause in his contract but Chelsea will look to negotiate a deal for Koke that involves handing over the asking price, and also Brazilian Luis, the former Atletico Madrid left-back who has failed to fire at the Bridge since arriving last year.

Continue reading for free

We hope you're enjoying The Week's refreshingly open-minded journalism.

Subscribed to The Week? Register your account with the same email as your subscription.

Bill Mann is a football correspondent for The Week.co.uk, scouring the world's football press daily for the popular Transfer Talk column.