La Liga champions Barcelona will reportedly have to part with left-back Jordi Alba, if they want to land Manchester United superstar Paul Pogba.
As per reports from Spanish publication Don Balon, Manchester United are set to demand full-back Jordi Alba in any deal that would see midfielder Paul Pogba join Barcelona. The Catalans had been aggressively chasing the French World Cup winner towards the end of the transfer window last month and continue to be interested in signing him.
They have launched a charm offensive to persuade the midfielder, with Gerard Pique insisting that Pogba will be a great fit at the club, while most recently Luis Suarez also claimed that he would thrive at Camp Nou.
Pogba too has flirted with the possibility of a move away on a few occasions. It is believed that his strained relationship with manager Jose Mourinho is the driving reason for him to be angling for a transfer.
Ahead of France’s UEFA Nations League fixture against Germany earlier on Thursday, the midfielder told Sky Sports Germany: “My future is currently in Manchester, I still have a contract, I’m playing there at the moment, but who knows what will happen in the next few months.”
However, after facing a strong backlash from the United supporters on his statements, the 25-year old has tracked back on his words, but his future at the club continues to be shrouded with uncertainty.
Manchester United are understood to be reluctant to lose the 25-year old, having spent €89 million to re-sign him from Juventus in 2016. However, as per the latest report from Don Balon, the Red Devils are open to a transfer, if Barcelona throw in Alba as part of the deal.
The 29-year old is widely regarded as one of the best full-backs in the game currently and is highly rated by United manager Mourinho. Alba has started the season strongly, scoring one and setting up two more in three La Liga games, but was surprisingly omitted from the Spain squad for the ongoing international fixtures.
The Red Devils were understood to be happy with the options available at their disposal for the left-back slot, with Luke Shaw, Ashley Young and new signing Diogo Dalot.
However, there are concerns in the camp after Shaw was stretchered off with a head injury, when on international duty for England against Spain on Saturday, leading to the interest in Alba.
Alba was reportedly miffed with Barcelona after the club failed to come through on a new contract that was promised to him 18 months ago. However, the Spanish international recently insisted that he is very happy at Camp Nou and wants to the retire at the club.
Considering how important a figure the 29-year old is at the club, Barcelona are unlikely to want to sell him to United midway through the season, especially with no like-for-like replacement present in the squad. However, they are expected to press ahead with their pursuit of Pogba.
The 25-year old Frenchman, who has scored twice in four Premier League outings this season, still has three years left on his contract with the Red Devils. However, a transfer to the reigning La Liga champions in January remains a distinct possibility.
