Varane-Pogba, feasible barter

“The transfer summer will have fewer movements, but some of them will be important”. This is the repeated forecast made to AS by some of the main representative agencies. “And there will be many more footballer exchange operations than economic transfers.” Madrid has a great opportunity on the nearest horizon to reinforce its midfield with one of the strongest players in that area: Paul Pogba (28 years old). United are open to a trade with Raphael Varane, who seems to have hoped for his future outside of Madrid.

Madrid's midfield is currently one of the strongest in Europe, but it is also evidence that above all Modric (35 years old), but also Kroos (31, the German even plans to leave the national team), are running out route. Casemiro is 29. Pogba was always one of the requests that Zidane fought the most for. Madrid negotiated his incorporation twice. The first and more firm, when Pogba went from Juve to United in 2016. Later, when Zidane returned to the Madrid bench for his second stage. But there was no agreement …

Manchester United is one of Varane's strongest options to change of scene this summer. And that is where the great opportunity is presented to Real Madrid. The Manchester entity, according to the local press, is not willing to pay a transfer of more than 30 or 40 million euros, because within a year Varane can go free and, above all, because he plans to make his great investment in the market by signing Jadon Sancho, a footballer for whom he plans to pay more than one hundred million euros to Borussia Dortmund.

Given Varane's refusal to negotiate its renewal (it ends in 2022 and it already has an offer on the table), Real Madrid prefers to sell it and make cash. A barter is not in his plans, because he needs money to finance the great operation he intends, which is none other than Mbappé or Haaland. Either way, if United finally goes after Varane, Pogba's name will inevitably be put on the table. Because the English entity has already completed its movement of regeneration of the media with the signings first of Bruno Fernandes (55 million) and then of Van de Beek (40) and would prefer to include the French media to put money.

As AS has learned from sources very close to Pogba, the French media would be delighted with the possibility of signing the last major contract of his career with Real Madrid. Like Varane, he has a contract until 2022. It ended in 2021, but Manchester United exercised the clause that allowed him to extend it one more season unilaterally. Now, Pogba waits for the end of the Eurocup to start negotiations for an extension, which would be at the expense, according to his surroundings, more of the sports project that they can offer in Manchester than of an economic offer. But if the name of Madrid appeared, everything would change for him before the possibility of fulfilling his dream.