Barcelona are now unlikely to make a move for Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba after president Josep Maria Bartomeu stated that manager Luis Enrique may not need him after all.
The former Manchester United midfielder is expected to command a transfer fee of around £ 70 million, which would make him a really expensive transfer even in the current standards. Only a couple of players like Luis Suarez, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Gareth Bale have been more expensive than the 22-year-old. A number of interested parties like Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Manchester City are thought to be considering pulling out of negotiations due to the exorbitant transfer fees demanded by Juventus.
The latest statement from Barcelona’s president is a confirmation of the same. Even though the club will have a new president in the next few weeks, there will be difficulty in progressing in terms of negotiations during the final few weeks of the transfer window. Former president Laporta is in the running once again and he has promised to the signing of Pogba if he is elected. After winning three major trophies last season,Bartomeu says that the club will now focus on promoting youngsters from the youth academy, which is regarded as the best in the world.
"Pogba is not a priority for Luis Enrique but you cannot rule out for the future.I think Barca B's demotion was an error of planning and that we are doing something wrong.Sometimes we put the best young players in the team too early.The most important thing about La Masia [Barca's youth academy] is that our players are allowed to continue with their learning process," said Bartomeu. The club have already signed some key players in this transfer window like Arda Turan but they will not be able to join with the squad until January.