Real Madrid News: What could keep a Paul Pogba deal from happening

Real Madrid are still interested in signing Manchester United star Paul Pogba due to Zinedine Zidane’s interest, but there’s one key issue to a potential deal.

While Real Madrid don’t necessarily require Paul Pogba after Fede Valverde’s tremendous breakout season in Los Blancos’ midfield, the Manchester United player is the type of global superstar who could both help the club’s brand and take the team to the next level.

A complete playmaking midfielder who can excel in a deep-lying role with his passing, patience, and vision, Pogba could be a Ballon d’Or candidate at a club like Real. He’s played well at United and was a star for Juventus, but Zinedine Zidane, who is high on the player, could truly unlock the French star’s potential.

According to a report from Marco Ruiz of AS, there’s a feeling within Real Madrid that they could potentially land Pogba for less than 100 million euros, which may end up being half of what United asked for in 2019. Though, it’s worth noting that United’s price was outlandish at the time and that much has changed since then in the market.

Although the transfer fee may be more palatable for Los Blancos, Pogba’s wages could end up being a key sticking point. Real Madrid already have to think about unloading the wages of Gareth Bale, James Rodriguez, and others who are no longer key players in the squad or on soon-to-be-expiring contracts, and they may not be able to sell everyone they need to in this new market.

Therefore, Pogba’s wages of more than 17 million euros could be tough for Real Madrid to swallow, especially since they have designs on paying the wages of a future top forward like Kylian Mbappe or Sadio Mane.

Pogba would easily be Los Blancos’ highest-paid player in wages if a transfer were to be completed with United, and that, in the long run, could be more financially impactful than the transfer fee itself.

Zidane continues to want Pogba – and for good reason. But with Florentino Perez’s hesitancy, the need for forwards, and Valverde’s emergence, the France international’s wages – which he has indeed earned on the strength of his talent – could ultimately prevent a beneficial signing for Real Madrid from happening.