Barcelona will reportedly attempt to sign Paul Pogba during the summer, but the Frenchman will have to wait until the club’s transfer ban concludes in January 2016 before moving to the Camp Nou.
Luis Enrique’s side are expected to face stiff competition for his signature, and particularly from Real Madrid, according to Mundo Deportivo (translated by Tom Conn of Inside Spanish Football):
Pogba is one of the most coveted players in European football and while Barcelona cannot officially register him as a player until next January, they will try to rival the continent’s top clubs for his services but may ultimately lose out to arch-rivals Real Madrid.
However, Conn’s report suggests Barca will exploit a loophole in their transfer hiatus to secure “several major signings.” Juventus may prefer to agree a deal and keep Pogba for an extra few months, providing Massimiliano Allegri with extended time to find a suitable replacement.
Interestingly, Conn indicates Barcelona will attempt to sign Madrid star Isco if Pogba can’t be attained.
It’s likely the Spanish midfielder will be frustrated with rotation upon Pogba’s arrival—especially as Carlo Ancelotti is unlikely to drop Luka Modric or James Rodriguez—despite regularly putting in excellent performances for La Liga’s leaders this season.
Reports are fuelled by Pogba’s previous interview with Gazzetta dello Sport (h/t Jamie Kemp of Inside Spanish Football) in which he called team-mate Fernando Llorente his “Spanish teacher.”
Pogba is a powerful midfielder who would add a physical presence to any midfield. He is blessed with a well-rounded game. He is a clever distributor of the ball, confident enough to skip around opponents and capable of scoring stunning goals, as highlighted below:
“I chose to speak to him about it because we have a good understanding of one another and I rate his opinion very highly,” he added. “He told me what he honestly thinks, which he also did before my moves to Leverkusen and to Chelsea.
“We first spoke about a move to Wolfsburg quite some time ago because he believed that, considering the tactical approach and playing style of the team, the move to Wolfsburg would be the right move for me.”
