Paul Pogba transfer could be off as clubs will find it ‘difficult’ to pay Man Utd star his huge salary, says Juve chief

JUVENTUS transfer chief Fabio Paratici has admitted it is hard to see Paul Pogba leaving Manchester United this summer due to his wage demands.

Clubs worldwide are dealing with the effects of the coronavirus crisis - the true cost of which will not be known for some time.

And major transfers such as Pogba's exit to either Real Madrid or Juventus are now potentially out of the question.

Pogba is thought to earn £290,000-a-week at Old Trafford, a figure Paratici believes few sides, if any, can meet.

Juve's chief football officer told Sky Sports Italia: "Paul Pogba is a fantastic player, we know him as a champion.

"But something will change after the coronavirus crisis, because logically the salary demands someone at his level would have had before are now more difficult to get hold of.

"Or, at least, he’ll have fewer clubs prepared to pay that money."

Inter Milan were the latest side linked with Pogba, 27, as La Gazzetta dello Sport reported on the desire of Nerazzurri owner Steven Zhang to bridge the gap to Juventus.

Much of the transfer speculation around Serie A of late has involved swap deals, including an apparent offer of Miralem Pjanic and Douglas Costa for Pogba.

The Bosnian has also been linked with an exchange deal involving Barcelona's Arthur Melo and Paratici is open about the need to think creatively in the upcoming market.

He continued: "We're speaking with Barcelona as we do with many top clubs because it will be a unique summer.

"We need ideas, swap deals and something new on next summer for transfers market."

Paratici then added: "What we will see is more extended loans, so a two-year loan, even three. Some say we could start the 2020/21 season with the same players as 2019/20, which is also a possibility.

"There will certainly be less cash circulating and that’s obvious to everyone. We are going through a difficult moment globally, not just in football, and the consequences will be felt everywhere.

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"Therefore, I think we’ll see longer loans because rather than purchase homes, people are more likely in a time of uncertainty to rent.

"I believe that if we exchange players between the top 12-15 clubs in the world, the value of the transfers won’t drop.

"When purchasing a new player, that’s a different matter and we could see a fall in the fees."