Real Madrid’s talks to sign Manchester United star Paul Pogba have hit an impasse due to the midfielder’s staggering wage demands, according to reports in France.
Eden Hazard is set to become Madrid’s first ‘Galactico’ signing of the summer after the club reached a €100 million (£86m) agreement with Chelsea for the forward. An announcement is expected to be made following the Blues’ participation in the Europa League final at the end of May.
Zinedine Zidane is determined to overhaul Madrid’s squad after a turbulent campaign both on and off the field and the La Liga giants have turned their attentions to other targets after getting Hazard’s deal over the line.
According to L’Equipe, Zidane is delighted to have landed Hazard and is now keen for Madrid to negotiate a move for Pogba who cut a frustrated figure for much of United’s season despite being the club’s sole representative in the PFA Team of the Year.
The report suggests Pogba’s €15m-a-year (£13m-a-year) demands are getting in the way of a deal as they do not match up with the complex wage structure in place at the Bernabeu.
A Madrid source is said to have told L’Equipe: ‘A Neymar or an [Kylian] Mbappe can upon entry be the highest paid player in the squad, but not a Pogba.’
Like Hazard, Pogba has made no secret of his desire to work under Zidane in the lead-up to the summer transfer window.
‘Like I’ve always said, Real Madrid is a dream for anyone. It’s one of the biggest clubs in the world,’ the French World Cup-winner said at the end of March.
‘There is also Zidane as a coach and it’s a dream for anybody who likes football.
‘For now, I’m at Manchester. We don’t know what the future holds. I’m at Manchester and I’m happy.’
Zidane has also refused to rule out a bid to sign Pogba amid the growing speculation surrounding the midfielder’s future.
‘I like Pogba a lot and that’s nothing new,’ the Madrid manager said last month.
‘I know him personally and he is different. He adds something that few others can do, thanks to his quality.
‘He knows how to attack and how to defend.’
MORE: Man Utd identify top target after Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s ‘desperate’ demand
