The phrase “agent-driven” is often used to describe transfer rumors that really have no genuine credibility, but receive substantial media coverage nonetheless. It’s probably fair to slap that label on the “Paul Pogba back to Man United: Will He or Won’t He?” saga.
The tedious, overblown narrative has now become this summer’s answer to David de Gea with Real Madrid last summer; or Arturo Vidal in 2014. And it took yet another turn today.
La Gazzetta dello Sport went all in on Wednesday, with over-excessive coverage. Their front-page headline reads: “Pogba has decided: dear Juve, let me go.”
The Italian newspaper claims Pogba has already agreed to terms with the club that let him go in 2012. It’s been oft-repeated that any potential deal would see Pogba make in Manchester about three times what he currently earns in Italy, and thus break the world record transfer fee amount.
Oggi in #primapagina: Pogba ha deciso, vuole lasciare la @juventusfc per lo United; @Vivo_Azzurro di Ventura e… pic.twitter.com/taMdReFR9H
— La Gazzetta dello Sport (@Gazzetta_it) July 20, 2016
It could eclipse the £100 million mark! The huge monetary amount is one of the main reasons that we keep hearing/seeing the Paul Pogba to Man United transfer rumors circulating in the Twitterverse, blogosphere, cyberspace and media world.
Another reason Pogba is in the headlines everyday is his agent, Mino Raiola. And that’s why we need to take today’s news with a grain of salt. Yesterday saw false reports claiming that the Pogba camp was in Manchester hammering out the final details of this blockbuster deal.
Raiola said the following about the supposed Pogba to Manchester United meeting:
“All of what you read is bullshit. That’s all there is.”
'It's all bulls**t' – Raiola rubbishes Pogba to Man Utd meeting https://t.co/QAcKlsGKiK pic.twitter.com/oZLn2EEvgh
— GOAL (@goal) July 19, 2016
While this specific story was total crap, you have to remember that Pogba’s agent has no problem talking out of both sides of his mouth and quite often contradicting himself. He can be almost Donald Trump like in this regard. He knows its his job as an agent to play all the angles and he certainly has no problem doing just that.
So despite what Raiola said, the chances for a Paul Pogba transfer aren’t dead yet. I also wouldn’t go with what La Gazzetta is saying as gospel either. Remember, Italian media have different journalistic standards than England or the United States of America.
In other words, the Paul Pogba summer transfer saga is far from over.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net, partnered with FOX Sports Engage Network. and News Now. Banks, a former writer for the Washington Times, currently contributes regularly to the Chicago Tribune’s RedEye publication.
He also consistently appears on numerous talk shows all across the country. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram