London - Jose Mourinho has warned Juventus that Manchester United have alternative targets to Paul Pogba if the two clubs cannot agree terms over a world-record transfer worth around £100million.
United are understood to have raised their offer for Pogba to £92m, but Juve are holding out for more after accepting the 23-year-old has made up his mind to leave Italy.
Pogba, who quit United on a free transfer in 2012, has agreed terms of £220 000 a week to return to Old Trafford in anticipation of a deal.
But his agent Mino Raiola went on Twitter on Thursday night to deny the clubs have reached an agreement after Mourinho warned that he and United’s executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward could look elsewhere.
Raiola stands to pocket close to £20m from the impending switch, and so will be keen for the deal to go through. The super-agent brokered both the Frenchman’s move to Juventus and subsequent contract two years later, securing a 20 per cent cut of his next transfer.
Mourinho did not deny United’s interest but claimed that there are other targets who fit the ‘profile’ of the centre midfielder he wants to make his fourth summer signing.Nemanja Matic is believed to be one of the options along with Paris Saint-Germain’s Blaise Matuidi.
GOAL: How MUFC could line-up with Pogba. pic.twitter.com/ju8i9D7WNV
— M.A.J (@UItraSuristic) July 20, 2016
Responding to questions about Pogba, Mourinho said: ‘That player is not the only one. It’s a profile we have, we have options, and we’re going to get a fourth player. But maybe it’s not the one you think.
‘I don’t confirm and I don’t deny. I cannot tell. We are calm. We know the profile of player we want and we have three faces to fill that profile.’
Daily Mail