According to reports from the London Evening Standard yesterday, Chelsea have prioritised signing Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba with just a week of the summer transfer window remaining.
The former Manchester United youngster has emerged as one of the top central midfielders in the world since swapping Old Trafford for the Old Lady in summer 2012, going on to win three consecutive Serie A titles, feature in the 2015 Champions League final and claim 23 caps for the France national team.
The 22 year-old is also one of world football’s most wanted, with no less than seven top European clubs linked to his signature earlier this summer – including Barcelona, Real Madrid and Manchester City.
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Last week came reports of Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich setting aside a £60million budget to try and sign the imposing 6 foot 2 Frenchman.
But according to the London Evening Standard, the Stamford Bridge outfit are now prepared to pay as much as £70million – and will work until the 6pm deadline on September 1st to secure a deal.
Although the Blues’ attempts to sign Everton’s John Stones have dominated the headlines in recent weeks, the Capitol-based newspaper claim Pogba is now their priority target following underwhelming starts to the season from Nemanja Matic and Cesc Fabregas.
Should Juve accept Chelsea’s £70million approach, Pogba will become the most expensive player in Premier League history.