Paul Pogba

[Pitchell]

His most recent 'forced' transfer was Balotelli to Liverpool. If Pogba's will was central to what Raiola wanted to achieve this summer then the complexion of his transfer would be very very different and the clubs involved would be very very different.

Let me put it another. Do you think that Paul Pogba would prefer to play at Barcelona, at Madrid, at Manchester United, or at Manchester City? What order do you put those clubs in if you were guessing his preference? When you listen to Pogba's words (I want to be the best but i'm not there yet, win the ballon do'r, be like Iniesta, Messi, and Neymar all rolled into one. i can improve a lot.), do they reflect the attitudes of a footballer who thinks he's the best in the world, and therefore deserves a world record fee and wages equivalent to Messi and Ronaldo?

Raiola is playing a very dangerous game with the Pogba family IMO. He made a comment last week which most of the media didn't pick up on but which was very very telling. "The boy needs to choose a project, not a coach." Which 'coach' has Pogba chosen and which 'project' would Mino be pushing him towards? The answers I suspect are very revealing about what's going on.

The Balotelli transfer was pushed by Milan, who wanted rid of him, and it's not like there were too many clubs lining up for Balotelli, so Liverpool was as good an option as any.

To answer your question, I suspect that Pogba's preference would be for Barcelona, followed by Real Madrid and Man Utd/City more or less on a par trailing behind, but that's all conjecture because nobody here actually knows Pogba and what his primary motivations are. Pogba clearly doesn't think that he's the best player in the world (that much is clear from his comments, and he's far more humble and hard-working than many people give him credit for), but that's not really the issue here. I'm not sure Pogba really cares all that much about the transfer fee to be honest, but a world record transfer fee doesn't necessarily equate to being the best player in the world. Gareth Bale was never the best player in the world, for instance. Raiola, being a good agent, is just trying to increase his client's value and getting him as good a deal as possible, also knowing that Juve will be unwilling to sell unless they receive a lucrative offer.

As for Raiola's comments that you quoted, it's the same thing that he has been saying for years now. If Pogba goes anywhere it will be because he has been led to believe that there is a long-term project of which he is an integral part, and within a framework that will stand by him through thick and thin because they value his qualities. It's basically the same thing that Raiola said last year when criticising Real Madrid for the way they treat their players. If Pogba doesn't receive a suitable offer, he will stay at Juve, where he is already at the centre of an exciting project and where he is one of the team's leaders. I think you're inferring too much by trying to read a tug-of-war between Pogba and Raiola into the latter's comments.

 

[BillyShears]

The Balotelli transfer was pushed by Milan, who wanted rid of him, and it's not like there were too many clubs lining up for Balotelli, so Liverpool was as good an option as any.

To answer your question, I suspect that Pogba's preference would be for Barcelona, followed by Real Madrid and Man Utd/City more or less on a par trailing behind, but that's all conjecture because nobody here actually knows Pogba and what his primary motivations are. Pogba clearly doesn't think that he's the best player in the world (that much is clear from his comments, and he's far more humble and hard-working than many people give him credit for), but that's not really the issue here. I'm not sure Pogba really cares all that much about the transfer fee to be honest, but a world record transfer fee doesn't necessarily equate to being the best player in the world. Gareth Bale was never the best player in the world, for instance. Raiola, being a good agent, is just trying to increase his client's value and getting him as good a deal as possible, also knowing that Juve will be unwilling to sell unless they receive a lucrative offer.

As for Raiola's comments that you quoted, it's the same thing that he has been saying for years now. If Pogba goes anywhere it will be because he has been led to believe that there is a long-term project of which he is an integral part, and within a framework that will stand by him through thick and thin because they value his qualities. It's basically the same thing that Raiola said last year when criticising Real Madrid for the way they treat their players. If Pogba doesn't receive a suitable offer, he will stay at Juve, where he is already at the centre of an exciting project and where he is one of the team's leaders. I think you're inferring too much by trying to read a tug-of-war between Pogba and Raiola into the latter's comments.

But if Paul is far more humble and hard working than people give him credit for, then surely his sporting ambitions come before his financial ambitions? He can't control what Juventus are asking for as a transfer fee but he can control the demands of his agent. If the figures quoted are true, 375k per week plus a 25 million euro commission to Mino that would limit the scope of teams he could play for thus limiting his sporting potential. Especially if a team he genuinely wants to play for (Barcelona for example), were prepared to find an agreement with Juventus if Pogba's personal package and the package of his agent was more realistic.

You say that i'm inferring too much within that comment, but the comment itself was still made last week. It's an interesting comment to make. Mino doesn't have to tell a journalist what Paul needs to do. He only needs to discuss the transfer itself. Why is he saying specifically that Paul needs to choose a project rather than a coach? That's a very very specific thing to say, not a general comment on his client's future.

 

[Pitchell]

But if Paul is far more humble and hard working than people give him credit for, then surely his sporting ambitions come before his financial ambitions? He can't control what Juventus are asking for as a transfer fee but he can control the demands of his agent. If the figures quoted are true, 375k per week plus a 25 million euro commission to Mino that would limit the scope of teams he could play for thus limiting his sporting potential. Especially if a team he genuinely wants to play for (Barcelona for example), were prepared to find an agreement with Juventus if Pogba's personal package and the package of his agent was more realistic.

You say that i'm inferring too much within that comment, but the comment itself was still made last week. It's an interesting comment to make. Mino doesn't have to tell a journalist what Paul needs to do. He only needs to discuss the transfer itself. Why is he saying specifically that Paul needs to choose a project rather than a coach? That's a very very specific thing to say, not a general comment on his client's future.

Pogba's sporting ambitions clearly do come before his financial ambitions, otherwise he would have left Juve years ago, when any number of clubs were willing to offer him a better contract than he had in place. Instead, he correctly chose to stay at Juve and grow as a player.

The scope of the teams he could move to is already very limited, given that he is at one of the best clubs in the world. The only clubs that are undoubtedly at a higher level than Juve are Barcelona, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich. Any other club that would be after him might be an improvement in some respects (financially, for example) but a sideways or downwards step in others (in terms of the strength of the team, for example). It makes sense that Raiola will try solicit as good a deal as possible, given that the clubs being expressing interest are all incredibly wealthy. If none of these clubs meet Juve's (and Pogba's) demands, both financially and in terms of a 'project', Pogba can very well stay put, winning trophies whilst wearing the most iconic shirt of one of the most well-loved and historically significant football clubs in the world. It's not like he's at lower league club and needs Raiola to try drum up interest for him.

The coach/project comment was in reference to Zidane, who is obviously one of Pogba's idols and, if anything, it's a veiled criticism of Real Madrid. Raiola (and pretty much everybody else in the football world) knows that if Real Madrid struggle next season, Zidane will be fired, regardless of the fact that he just won the CL. Raiola is just saying that although Pogba's admiration for Zidane is well documented, his admiration for him (or any other coach, for that matter) won't necessarily be the primary factor in Pogba's decision.

 

[BillyShears]

Pogba's sporting ambitions clearly do come before his financial ambitions, otherwise he would have left Juve years ago, when any number of clubs were willing to offer him a better contract than he had in place. Instead, he correctly chose to stay at Juve and grow as a player.

The scope of the teams he could move to is already very limited, given that he is at one of the best clubs in the world. The only clubs that are undoubtedly at a higher level than Juve are Barcelona, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich. Any other club that would be after him might be an improvement in some respects (financially, for example) but a sideways or downwards step in others (in terms of the strength of the team, for example). It makes sense that Raiola will try solicit as good a deal as possible, given that the clubs being expressing interest are all incredibly wealthy. If none of these clubs meet Juve's (and Pogba's) demands, both financially and in terms of a 'project', Pogba can very well stay put, winning trophies whilst wearing the most iconic shirt of one of the most well-loved and historically significant football clubs in the world. It's not like he's at lower league club and needs Raiola to try drum up interest for him.

Hang on but that's sort of my point. United is a step down on pretty much every level except a financial one. Why would he choose to go there? I'm not disputing that Mourinho has some pull and United have a history and are still seen as one of the biggest clubs in the world. But for Paul Pogba specifically what motivates him to move from a club who've won four titles on the bounce to a club who haven't won a title in four years and who won't be competing in Europe's premier competition next season? A player aspiring to be one of the all time greats moving to a team where he'll have to carry it for large parts of the season as the team's only marquee player. Something stinks in all this because Pogba's own words would be deeply undermined by that move.

The coach/project comment was in reference to Zidane, who is obviously one of Pogba's idols and, if anything, it's a veiled criticism of Real Madrid. Raiola (and pretty much everybody else in the football world) knows that if Real Madrid struggle next season, Zidane will be fired, regardless of the fact that he just won the CL. Raiola is just saying that although Pogba's admiration for Zidane is well documented, his admiration for him (or any other coach, for that matter) won't necessarily be the primary factor in Pogba's decision.

I'm aware of the context of the comment. I just think he wouldn't have made it if there wasn't some kind of tension or disagreement behind the scenes. Fair enough if you think I'm reading too much into it. Personally I don't think I am. I suspect that Pogba has told Raiola he won't go back to United and Mino is trying to force the kid to take the move.

 

[Zin 'messiah' Zimmer]

But if Paul is far more humble and hard working than people give him credit for, then surely his sporting ambitions come before his financial ambitions? He can't control what Juventus are asking for as a transfer fee but he can control the demands of his agent. If the figures quoted are true, 375k per week plus a 25 million euro commission to Mino that would limit the scope of teams he could play for thus limiting his sporting potential. Especially if a team he genuinely wants to play for (Barcelona for example), were prepared to find an agreement with Juventus if Pogba's personal package and the package of his agent was more realistic.

You say that i'm inferring too much within that comment, but the comment itself was still made last week. It's an interesting comment to make. Mino doesn't have to tell a journalist what Paul needs to do. He only needs to discuss the transfer itself. Why is he saying specifically that Paul needs to choose a project rather than a coach? That's a very very specific thing to say, not a general comment on his client's future.

He uses the media better than any other agent to prompt reaction, that's his job and he's bloody good at it, however, it's a throw away comment to ignite a reaction from those swinging their legs under the table...

This united shit is funny though, really refreshing (:

 

[pavelsrnicek]

Is the whole United move not simply an auction for wages/ agent'f fee? If Madrid are the only gig in town then they can keep his wages down, United are desperate to make loud noises in this transfer market and have no real restrictions financially so would be willing to pay Raiola what he wants. As long as Raiola can keep both United and Madrid at the table then Pogba will get the best possible deal from Madrid.

I fully expect a lot of stories about Pogba agreeing a deal with Rags up to the point where he signs for Madrid.

 

[Pitchell]

Hang on but that's sort of my point. United is a step down on pretty much every level except a financial one. Why would he choose to go there? I'm not disputing that Mourinho has some pull and United have a history and are still seen as one of the biggest clubs in the world. But for Paul Pogba specifically what motivates him to move from a club who've won four titles on the bounce to a club who haven't won a title in four years and who won't be competing in Europe's premier competition next season? A player aspiring to be one of the all time greats moving to a team where he'll have to carry it for large parts of the season as the team's only marquee player. Something stinks in all this because Pogba's own words would be deeply undermined by that move.

In that case we're kind of agreeing. I don't think that moving to Utd is an obvious choice, but neither do I think that it's incredibly unlikely. I guess Pogba could be convinced to move there if he believes that Utd are on the right path to building a strong team that could challenge for the top honours in the long-term (and personally I think Utd are building a nice, albeit incomplete, team with the likes of Mkhitaryan etc.). I also get the impression that Pogba places quite high value on history and prestige, especially seeing how he has spoken about Juve's history etc., so that might be another important factor that would attract him at Utd. And the financial offer would obviously also play a part. But the lack of CL would obviously be a big obstacle.

 

[the_game_161]

Thing is Madrid normally get their guys even if it takes all summer. They want to splash this year I'm sure with the transfer ban incoming next year

 

[thereWasATime]

Unfortunately I've just heard a deal has been put in place for his agent to bring him, Ibra and Mkhitaryan to United.

Not from my usual source's, but from one of Rooney's sponsors

Damn Mino is on fire :(

 

[Latics Fan SJK]

I could be wrong, but a quick look at mattyb's profile suggests he has had quite a bit of inside knowledge previously.