EPL 2016/17: Paul Pogba was on the verge of joining Manchester City last summer

What’s the story

Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba returned to the Old Trafford club this summer for a world-record fee; however, the French international was on the cusp of joining bitter rivals Manchester City - not United.

Before securing a move to Old Trafford in August, Pogba and Manchester City were deep in discussions regarding a potential transfer to the Etihad Stadium, but one small factor prevented the former Juventus star from joining United’s cross-town rivals.

Juventus agreed to the sale of Pogba provided the valuation of their prized asset was met during the summer. Their €100 million valuation witnessed many clubs move away from any negotiations with the Serie A giants except both Manchester clubs.

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European giants Barcelona and Real Madrid were desperately pursuing Pogba's services, but Juventus's astronomical asking price saw their interest develop into nothing stronger.

So who was left? Manchester City and Manchester United. Both sides had recruited big name managers in Jose Mourinho and Pep Guardiola, and were keen to provide their A-list managers with a world star.

Txiki Begiristain was in discussion with Juventus' Sporting Director Giuseppe Marotta months before the 2015/2016 season ended with both parties relatively confident the player would be wearing Sky Blue next season. Despite what many consider over-prized, City wanted a marquee signing to join Guardiola at City and continue their global branding throughout - to ensure they become one of the world's most prominent clubs.

Heart of the matter

How close was the deal? Personal terms were agreed with Pogba that would have witnessed him potentially become the club's highest earner on £260,000 a week. That would have seen a basic salary of £150,000 and joined the likes of Sergio Aguero, Yaya Toure, and Kevin De Bruyne on such wages, and another £110,000 on bonus related payments that would be paid on a monthly basis.

City's chief's, Khaldoon Al-Mubarak and Ferran Soriano, firmly believed the player would become an ideal marketing project and see the majority of their world record fee recouped within a matter of weeks - not even months.

Pogba's housing arrangments were all in place ahead of his move to Manchester with luxury companies who allowed the midfielder to continue his progression on the field. But where did it all go wrong?

Before the end of the season, last May, Pogba and his agent began flirting with the idea of a bidding war between City, Real Madrid, Manchester United, and Chelsea - something that angered the holistic ownership behind the scenes at City.

Suddenly, Guardiola's input became even more valuable, and he requested the club refuse to bow down to player and agent power ensuring his team was not full of egotistical superstars - much like the Zlatan Ibrahimovic situation at Barcelona.

Raiola then soon requested his own fee to guarantee the player rebuffed any offers on his client. City's hierarchy got wind of the news and swiftly pulled away from any potential deal that City were offering.

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Sportskeeda’s Take

Considering City were willing to make Pogba their poster-boy like his talent deserved, and marketing value consisted of, it was the lack of class from his agent Mino Raiola that ensured the Etihad faithful pulled away from any deal. The Dutch superagent soon demanded a fee of £19 million from Manchester United for his services and despite the acquisition of a world-class talent, City, and more particularly Guardiola, were not willing to be held to ransom by any player, or his entourage.

A move to Manchester City would have proven a match made in heaven. Under the tutelage of Pep Guardiola and the apprenticeship of Yaya Toure, Paul Pogba’s greedy entourage could have prevented a world superstar becoming even better than much anticipated.