How Juventus plan to raise £200m to buy Paul Pogba back from Manchester United

Juventus are plotting a stunning move to bring Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba back to Italy for £200m.

The French midfielder left Juve for Old Trafford two years ago, for a then world-record feee of £89m, having moved to Turin after leaving United as a teenager.

But Pogba has never taken to life under Jose Mourinho, struggling to find consistent form and falling out with the confrontational manager earlier this season, when he was left out of the side for a crucial Champions League game with Sevilla.

Now, according to The Mirror, Juve are looking to offload four of their players to raise the £200m they think they will need to buy-back Pogba. They have already splashed £88m on Cristiano Ronaldo.

Midfielder Miralem Pjanic, striker Gonzalo Higuain and defenders Daniele Rugani and Mattia Calcara are the players at risk, with suitors for all four of them, including Maurizio Sarri's Chelsea.

Whether United are willing to sell the 25-year-old is another question though, with Mourinho expressing his dismay at the club's lack of activity.

So far United have brought in Fred, Diogo Dalot and reserve keeper Lee Grant and after the 4-1 pre-season defeat to Liverpool, Mourinho said he wanted more players, but did not expect to get them.

Pogba's impressive displays at the heart of France's midfield during the World Cup have raised hopes among United fans that he can fulfil his potential this season, but a reunion with Massimiliano Allegri may be too good to turn down if a fee is agreed.

Real Madrid make £100m Chelsea swoop

Another alleged Man Utd target, Willian of Chelsea, could instead be on his way to Real Madrid. The Mail says the European champions have launched a £100m double bid for the Brazilian midfielder and his Blues teammate Thibaut Courtois, with the Brazilian making up £65m of the total fee (and Courtois £35m, in case you are not good at maths).

Meanwhile Willian's nemesis, the former Chelsea manager Antonio Conte, has been offered a £5.5m-a-year deal to take over as the new coach of AC Milan, reports this Express.

If the Italian takes the job, it would probably save the Blues having him to pay him £9m in compensation for the final year of his Stamford Bridge contract. So if Conte is feeling particularly vindictive he still has the option of hanging loose for a season just to spite Roman Abramovich (while not doing any work). Tempting.

More gossip

Elsewhere, Chelsea's hopes of signing Jordan Pickford from Everton could be dented by the Toffees' plans to offer the England shotstopper a new and improved contract (Times), Fulham are close to signing Swansea City centre-back Alfie Mawson for around £20m (Sky Sports) and Aston Villa's billionaire takeover has given them the funds to make a second loan bid for West Ham's Robert Snodgrass (Birmingham Mail). Hugely exciting times.