Paul Pogba’s proposed move from Manchester United to Real Madrid in the summer was blocked by German sportswear company Adidas, it has been claimed.
Real had been linked with the 26-year old French World Cup winner all summer, and were prepared to pay up to £150 million to land him. For his part, Pogba made no secret of his desire to move, with both his agent and brother publicly stating he wanted to switch to the Spanish club.
In the end though he stayed with United, and it now appears that the decision was heavily influenced by Adidas. They are three years into a ten-year personal sponsorship deal with the midfielder, worth £31 million. They are also heavily invested in United, having signed a contract worth £750 million to become the club’s official kit provider until 2024.
Adidas wanted Pogba to stay in the Premier League for at least another season and, given their financial commitments to both player and club, they ultimately got their way.
Andy is an exiled English football fan living in Cyprus. He loves all sports but football is his abiding passion, and he still has dreams every now and then about scoring the winning goal in a Wembley Cup Final, even though his playing days are long gone. He follows most major leagues, across Europe at least, and has a favoured team in each. When he’s not watching, listening, reading or downloading podcasts about football, he spend his time worrying about his beloved Arsenal.