Jose Mourinho wanted Paul Pogba at Chelsea last season, says Mino Raiola

By AFP Sport

Image: Jose Mourinho wanted Paul Pogba at Chelsea last season, says Mino Raiola

Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba was targeted by Jose Mourinho for Chelsea last year but was blocked by an agreement between his agent Mino Raiola and Juventus, according to Raiola himself.

Pogba, who left United for free to join Juventus in 2012 at the age of 18, returned to Old Trafford in a world-record £89m deal earlier this summer.

But the 23-year-old's agent revealed on Thursday that a potential deal with Chelsea was delayed by an agreement with Raiola and the Italian club that he could leave if they won the Serie A title and Champions League.

Image: Pogba moved to United for a world-record £89m in the summer

But Raiola told Rai Sport: "Paul could have left [Juventus] last year because Mourinho - then at Chelsea - really wanted him.

"But Juventus and I had agreement: win the league title and the Champions League, then he can go." 

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Juventus claimed a record-equalling fifth consecutive Serie A title last season but their progress in the Champions League was ended at the quarter-finals stage by Bayern Munich.

Raiola, meanwhile, said Pogba can expect a present from Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis because his transfer to United prepared the way for Juve to buy striker Gonzalo Higuain from Napoli for 90m euros.

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Image: Mourinho was sacked as Chelsea manager in December 2015

He added: "De Laurentiis should be giving Paul a present, because without his departure Juventus would never have bought Higuain, and he would never have been able to bank all that money."

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