Blaugrana directors Ariedo Braida and Alberto Soler are in the peninsula on Wednesday for a meeting with Juventus over the future of the superstar French midfielder.
Barcelona are set to formalise their interest in Paul Pogba on Wednesday when directors Ariedo Braida and Alberto Soler travel to Italy to meet Juventus director general Giuseppe Marotta.
The Frenchman is the most sought-after player in this summer’s transfer market, with Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea and Manchester City also interested in the 22-year-old.
Pogba has now emerged as Barcelona’s primary transfer target, despite the club being banned from signing players until January 2016.
With the Camp Nou presidential elections taking place in just over two weeks, all the candidates – including current incumbent Josep Maria Bartomeu and former chief Joan Laporta – want to buy Pogba.
On Wednesday, Braida and Soler are set to inform Marotta of their intention to sign Pogba for the start of the 2016-17 season, thus allowing him to remain in Turin for one more campaign. The plan is to reach an agreement with Juve before the July 18 elections, though candidate Augusti Benedito claims that a move would wait until afterwards.
Juventus are unwilling to listen to any offers below €80 million (£56.7m) – a figure Barca with which are prepared to begin the bidding – and are very unlikely to sell this summer following the sale of Carlos Tevez and imminent departure of Andrea Pirlo.
However, the Bianconeri are more open to the possibility of a big sale next summer, which could work in Barcelona’s favour, given their transfer ban.
Goal understands that Manchester City are prepared to break the world record in order to sign Pogba, while PSG have offered the star €12m (£8.5m) a season in order to return to his homeland.
However, the ex-Manchester United man regards Barcelona as his favoured next destination and only recently revealed that Lionel Messi would be a “dream team-mate”.
Madrid’s own interest in Pogba has wavered recently, with the club enduring a difficult relationship with the player’s agent, Mino Raiola.
This has put Barcelona firmly in the box seat ahead of their talks with Juventus on Wednesday.
