Transfer News: Manchester City eye Paul Pogba signing after Barcelona pull out of summer deal for Juventus ace

Manchester City are reportedly in the mix to sign Paul Pogba after Barcelona backed out of a world-record deal that would bring the Juventus star to Camp Nou this summer.

According to the Mirror, City have been on alert after Barca backed out of a massive deal that would bring their long-term target Pogba to La Liga. Pogba had an outline agreement to join Barca this summer in a structured transfer worth £85 million (AU$172.6 million), but due to self-imposed financial restrictions, the Catalan club has contacted Juventus saying they would not be splashing out on the French international.

With Barcelona's hands already full in trying to find the money for new contracts for its top players, signing Pogba to a lucrative deal remains impossible for the Spanish giants at this stage. According to Guillem Balague of Sky Sports, Barcelona does not have the financial power to offer new deals to its top players, making it more complicated to swoop Pogba from the Italian side.

“Barcelona cannot afford to give new contracts to Lionel Messi, Suarez and Neymar as it stands - financially they do not have the power to do so,” Balague noted. “They need to bring a lot of money in, if they do that they will be able to keep them, but if they don't they may have to get rid of one.”

But according to Nicholas Godden of the Mail, Pogba is desperate to play for Barcelona and would consider a pay-cut to join the La Liga side, potentially declining offers from City and Chelsea.

Pogba has won three Serie A title and played a big role in Juventus’ campaign at the UEFA Champions League final round last season. The 22-year-old remains a divisive player, but he still has the potential to be one of the best footballers in the world.

Meanwhile, Barcelona sporting director Robert Fernandez has shifted his focus on looking for a young central defender. Everton’s John Stones, Paris Saint-Germain’s Marquinhos, and Athletico Bilbao’s Aymeric Laporte are reportedly on top of Barca’s list.