Thứ Hai, 17 tháng 8, 2015

DONE DEAL: Man United sign new Paul Pogba

Former Arsenal midfielder Matthew Willock has signed a new contract with Manchester United.
The 19-year-old, who turns 20 later this month, announced his big news on Instagram.
Willock posted a photo of himself putting pen to paper while sitting next to Louis van Gaal’s assistant manager, Ryan Giggs.
Four United youngsters have now signed new deals this week – Timothy Fosu-Mensah, Josh Harrop, Joel Castro Pereira and Willock.
Willock, who has been compared to Juventus and France star Paul Pogba due to his appearance and style of play, joined United from Arsenal in 2012.
His two brothers – Chris and Joe – are still on the Gunners books.

Marcello Lippi Backs Paul Pogba to Become Juventus' New Leader

​Marcello Lippi has hailed Paul Pogba as a genius and expects him to show that he is Juventus' natural leader after he was assigned the club's iconic No.10 shirt. 

The Serie A champions are preparing to defend their fourth consecutive Scudetto without the likes of Carlos Tevez, Andrea Pirlo and Arturo Vidal who left the club this summer, prompting the club to install Pogba as the new bearer of the coveted number. Pogba has also been linked with a move away from Turin but he now looks to start the new season as the main source of inspiration.

And Lippi believes the Turin giants' faith in the 22-year-old will be rewarded, backing the starlet to come of age this season and realise his full potential despite growing interest from Europe's top sides.
Olympique de Marseille v Juventus FC - Preseason Friendly


"Pogba is a born leader, and he deserves the No.10," the former World Cup-winning boss toldTuttosport. "By choosing to stay at Juventus, he showed his character.

"Now he must confirm his leadership skills along with his genius, by dispensing with parts of his game that are needless, such as tricks that he does in some areas of the pitch."

Despite the summer exits of the Bianconeri's key players, Lippi does not expect their title credentials to have taken too much of a setback, although he acknowledged the renewed threat coming from Roma and AC Milan.

Projecting Paul Pogba's 2015-16 season

Paul Pogba is not the kind of player to just go ahead and back down from a challenge. Maybe he's able to do that because he's a whole lot better than a good portion of the players he's up against over the course of any given season. Or maybe it's because he's got the maturity of a 10-year veteran despite still being so incredibly young.
There's no doubting that Pogba's desire to be world class teamed with his amazing array of skills has brought him to where he is today. And the same goes for Pogba asking to wear Juventus' famed No. 10 jersey — he not only wants to be the guy who is expected to produce, he welcomes the responsibility that comes with a number that's expected to produce. That means after the first No. 10 after Alessandro Del Piero's two-decade reign in Turin, Carlos Tévez, spent two über-productive seasons in the No. 10 jersey, it's now Pogba's turn to make his own mark after wearing the No. 6 for three years.
Pogba has basically brought the pressure that comes with having Juventus' most famous jersey number upon himself. Essentially, Pogba has channelled wrestling superstar — like, oh, I dunno, The Rock — and told the pressure one simple thing.
To be completely honest with you, seeing some pictures of Pogba this summer and how absolutely jacked he is physically, he could probably hold his own in wrestling's beloved squared circle. That just happens when you're blessed with incredible strength and skill. Pogba's got the size and strength to shed away would-be tacklers. His insanely powerful shots have become YouTube, Vine and gif sensations across the interwebs.
But the main difference between Pogba's upcoming season and his past three in Turin is pretty easy to recognize.
This, for all intents and purposes, can be dubbed The Season of Pogba. It's not only because he has politely asked for and subsequently taken over as Juventus' No. 10. (Although that does add a good bit to the equation.) But with the summer departures of both Andrea Pirlo and Arturo Vidal, Pogba's role in Juventus midfield has grown only that much more. Claudio Marchisio is still around, but Pogba is the star of the show as Il Principino flies under the radar despite continued awesomeness.
Throw in the fact that Pogba, at age 22, will be expected to star at the 2016 European Championships on his home soil 10 months from now and you have plenty of motivation for Pogba to take his already-impressive game to yet another level. And there's no doubting that he's capable of it, too. Now all that's left is for Pogba to actually do so.
We've seen him progress so much since he arrived in the summer of 2012 that it's hard to believe there's more room for Pogba to grow as a player. Yet, there is. Seriously, there is. He's still so young compared to some of the other elite players at his position in the game today that it's hard to think that anything other than "the sky's the limit" is applicable. Pogba's tally of eight Serie A goals last season was tied for second on the Juventus squad with Álvaro Morata. That's as a midfielder who played barely over 2,000 minutes in league play.
I mean, it's not even close to a common occurrence that Marcello Lippi is saying this about a player:
"Pogba is a born leader, and he deserves the No.10. By choosing to stay at Juventus, he showed his character. "Now he must confirm his leadership skills along with his genius, by dispensing with parts of his game that are needless, such as tricks that he does in some areas of the pitch."
(Source: Europsport)
That's what Lippi said about Pogba just a few short days ago. That's praise — and it's not the first time somebody has lauded the talent that Pogba brings to the table. He has garnered praise from some of the game's players both past and present.
No pressure, right? Right. But he can handle it.
PAUL POGBA 2015-16 PROJECTION (SERIE A ONLY)
Games: 33
Starts: 30
Goals: 11
Assists: 9

Chủ Nhật, 2 tháng 8, 2015

Manchester City and Barcelona target Paul Pogba 'may head to court' in order to seal Juventus exit

The in-demand France midfielder faces a legal stumbling block ahead of any potential transfer away from Juventus.
GettyJuventus
See you in court? Pogba may tackle the legal system
Paul Pogba is reportedly ready to head to the courts in order to seal a transfer away from Juventus.
The in-demand France international has been linked with Manchester City, Real Madrid, Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain this summer, but no firm bids have materialised.
According to reports in France Football, this is partly down to a wrangle over image rights, with any buying club needing to add a further €15million to any fee in order to transfer the rights from Oualidia Tanazefti, an old friend of Pogba who currently manages them via a company registered in Luxembourg.
Pogba may now look to take up legal action against Tanazefti in order to resolve the deadlock and facilitate a move away from the Italian champions.
If you can't beat them... Pogba has been heavily linked with a move to Barcelona
It is thought that the Italian champions are holding out for a fee of €80million for the midfielder, who would also demand a €12million salary.
It was reported earlier this month that Manchester City were leading the race for the Frenchman, who has been linked with a move away from Juventus.
Pogba was an essential part of the Juve team that won Serie A at a canter last term, and made it all the way to the Champions League final.

Paul Pogba: 2014-15

35
Games
10
Goals
9
Assists
Their conquerors in Berlin, Barcelona, are also said to be interested in the former Manchester United man's services, but Nou Camp legend Johan Cruyff said he believes they should steer clear.
"The figures seem to be absurd. €80 million for Pogba is absurd,” he said.
Any move from Barcelona would be a complex one, given their current transfer embargo. New signing Arda Turan will not be allowed to represent the Catalan club until January.

Premier League Transfer Rumours: Bender, Pogba, Gaitan, Pato and More

The Paul Pogba saga doesn't quite appear to be over yet, so check out the latest plot twist with regard to the Frenchman's future in Saturday's transfer rumour round up.

Juventus v Borussia Dortmund - Preseason Friendly

There's also news on Nicolas Gaitan, Dimitar Berbatov's potential Premier League return and information on which three English clubs are chasing a sensational swoop for the once brilliant Alexandre Pato.

Manchester City to delay Paul Pogba swoop until January

MANCHESTER CITY are prepared to put their bid to sign Paul Pogba on ice until the January transfer window.

They also have been given the impression by the Italian champions that they don’t want to sell Pogba, 22, in this transfer window, having already seen Carlos Tevez and Arturo Vidal depart from Turin.
So City are prepared to wait, either until January or even next summer.
Juventus have also knocked back a £60m bid from Barcelona for Pogba.
City, though, are continuing the £50m pursuit of Wolfsburg winger Kevin De Bruyne, 24.
Meanwhile, Man City centre-half Eliaquim Mangala and Liverpool defender Mamadou Sakho have been backed to come good this season.
The French duo arrived in the Premier League with big reputations – Mangala cost City £32m and the Reds spent £18m on Sakho – but they have struggled to convince.
But ex-France boss Raymond Domenech believes they are both now ready to prove themselves.
He said: “Mangala must be better in the second year.
“He made some mistakes, so he has to correct his mistakes."

Why it is now imperative Juventus keep hold of Paul Pogba

The future of the in-demand Paul Pogba has been a long drawn out saga that has continued to rumble on all summer, as Juventus continue to fight tooth and nail to stave off interest from European rivals for his coveted signature.
With speculation cooled and the sight of the Frenchman stepping out in Juve’s recent preseason friendly against Borussia Dortmund, it looks as though the Italian giants are winning the battle to keep Pogba in Turin for another season, which is music to the ears of theBianconeri faithful, considering they have just lost another key component to their Serie A juggernaut.
18pogba
It was announced that combative midfielder Arturo Vidal was sold to Bayern Munich for €37 million, as the Chilean decided to seek a new challenge after four hugely successful years in Italy, where he won seven trophies in total. Vidal was central to Juventus’s domestic dominance as they won four successive Scudetto crowns.
The loss of Vidal, who is widely regarded as one of, if not the world’s premier box to box midfielder, is an almost irreplaceable figure in the middle of the park for the Old Lady, not only for his goalscoring reliability and defensive steel, but also for his ability to cover every blade of grass, and his feisty, in your face nature that has made Juve’s midfield such an irrepressible force in recent times.
With the loss of Andrea Pirlo to New York further compounding Juve’s woes in the centre of the park, it shapes as a challenging task for boss Massimiliano Allegri to reconstruct what is a currently disjointed midfield, that was previously so cohesive and potent.
The signing of German Sami Khedira has gone some way to replenishing the champions’ midfield stocks, but it will be the desperation to keep hold of Pogba and entrust him in being that peripheral figure that Allegri can build a team around. The stage is set for the colossal midfielder to take his game to a new level in order to pick up the slack left behind by Vidal and Pirlo.
The loss of Vidal to Bayern is a bitter pill to swallow, not only because Juve are losing a great player, but also the relatively modest price that was agreed, considering the abnormal amounts of money being thrown around for players of inferior quality. Being branded as a selling club does not sit well with Juventus at all, considering their standing on the European stage, so taking a hard stance on Pogba is the correct decision. 
Pogba’s career trajectory has taken a steady upward curve, which his general performances and goal tally suggests, continuing to leave fans breathless with moments of pure genius. His stunning volley against Napoli last season is just one example of Pogboom’s unquestionable talent. This season, however, despite being just 22 years of age, needs to become the symbol of this Juveside.
Pogba was once a seen as a young upstart who was often criticised for his nonchalant attitude towards the game. While still displaying the trademark outlandish blonde tipped mohawk haircut, he has gradually matured both as a footballer and as a person. His continual rise to prominence only increases his responsibilities for both club and country.
Pogba could become Juventus midfield lynchpin this season with the departures of Vidal and Pirlo.
Pogba could become Juventus midfield linchpin this season with the departures of Vidal and Pirlo.
The Young Player of 2014 World Cup will have to shoulder more of the burden this upcoming season, a situation that Pogba will relish, as one feels he is ready to add his name to the bracket of the highest echelon of footballers on the world stage, and it is well within the realms of him achieving that.
While he could pick up substantially higher wages by moving to England, Spain or even France with PSG, Pogba still has unfinished business with Juventus on the European front, after the heartbreak of losing last year’s final to Barcelona. The desire to get to another Champions League final and conquer Europe with the two-time winners is an objective he would like to tick off before he contemplates leaving the club.
While Juve might not quite be at the level of Barca, Real Madrid, or Bayern Munich, they are not far off it. Retaining the services of Pogba, whilst thwarting interest from the aforementioned clubs, will guarantee the bridge between them does not reach an insurmountable distance.
Time is still very much on Pogba’s side. Pursuing clubs will happily bide their time until they know of his availability. He is the master of his own destiny, so he should not feel pressured or rushed to make a career decision that could jeopardise his growth. He is still contracted to the Serie A champions until 2019.
Juventus and French icon Zinedine Zidane, who was once in a similar situation to the one Pogba is in right now, made the bold statement that if Pogba could continue to develop at this current rate he will become “one of the best players ever”.
Whether this comes to fruition, time will tell. But firstly, staying put at Juventus will provide him with the stage to flourish to the fullest, and that could coincide with Pogba becoming one of greatest players ever to don the famous black and white shirt.