Pogba had another Premier League offer, reveals Raiola

Matt Stead

Mino Raiola has revealed Paul Pogba rejected another Premier League club to sign for Manchester United.

United re-signed Pogba from Juventus in a world-record £89million deal this summer, beating off competition from Real Madrid for the midfielder.

However, the France international’s agent claims the 23-year-old rejected another two clubs, one in the Premier League and one abroad – with Chelsea and Barcelona having previously been linked.

“Yes, Manchester United had no Champions League and weren’t champions but they needed us the most,” he told the Daily Mail.

“United had been talking to us for two years about Pogba. They had taken my player Sergio Romero and we had kept the lines of communication open.

“We knew we had interest, we spoke to Juventus, they really wanted to try for the Champions League, they gave him the No.10 shirt and we said we would give it one more year.

“Then I worked on an exit plan. We had two offers from the Premier League and two outside.

“Paul said United was in his heart, Woodward wanted him at United a year ago and Mourinho had wanted him at Chelsea too, so when the two combined we knew it was right.

“For the player, Real Madrid would have been easier, La Liga, Champions League, but he wanted the greater challenge.”