Juventus accept Manchester United’s world record bid for Pogba

Paul Pogba will soon be a Manchester United player again, as Juventus have accepted the Red Devils’ mammoth €120 million bid for the player, according to reports in France.

L’Equipe is reporting that, after rejecting United’s opening offer of €100 million yesterday, the Italian champions have now accepted an improved bid of €120 million (£102 million) for the talented French midfielder.

Multiple reports in Italy yesterday claimed that the two clubs met to discuss the potential deal, with United’s first offer being knocked back.

But, crucially, it is believed that Pogba has informed Juventus of his desire to leave the club and join United, meaning that the Turin giants have now accepted defeat in their battle to hold on to the player they signed four years ago.

L’Equipe’s report suggests that the formalities of the deal could be sewn up within the next few days, at which point an official announcement would follow.

The transfer — which would eclipse the previous world-record fee set when Gareth Bale joined Real Madrid for £85.3 million in 2013 — will see Pogba return to the club he left as a teenager in 2012.

United executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward postponed his plans to travel with the squad on their pre-season tour of China this week, instead staying back to see the Pogba deal over the line. And it is thought that the commercially-minded operations chief is keen to announce the marquee signing in time for the launch of the club’s new home jersey on 23 August.

It is not yet known how much of the fee will be broken down into conditional instalments — á la the Anthony Martial deal last summer — and exactly what portion of the fee will be pocketed by Pogba’s agent Mino Raiola.

But regardless of the final breakdown, the capture of Pogba stands to smash all records, and deliver the type of headlines that new United boss José Mourinho hinted at when he recently said he wanted to pull off a signing that would "make everybody sit up straight."