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La Liga Leaks: Real ‘to lose out on Pogba’, Barca ‘to sell stars to Premier League clubs’

It looks like the race for Paul Pogba is almost over. Indecision over Andre Gomes cost Real Madrid a chance at signing the Portuguese international and it looks like the same issue could strike again in their pursuit of Pogba, according to AS. Real Madrid, and in particular Florentino Perez, are unconvinced that a €120m deal for the Juventus man would be good business. That’s telling when you consider Perez is the least likely person to worry about a player’s worth - if he really wants them.

Zinedine Zidane’s wish list only contained one name: Pogba’s. It’s no secret that the French coach isn’t a fan of James Rodriguez and he hoped to sell the Colombian to fund his move for Pogba. However, James would cause Zidane even more unrest after declaring he wouldn’t leave - even when a €85m offer was on the table for his services. Perez, on the other hand, knows the value of James in the South American market and hopes he can rediscover his best form and prove to be a key asset for Zidane next season.

Real Madrid are convinced the player will end up signing for Manchester United. The English club have an agreement in principle with his agent, Mino Raiola, and are pushing for the move to be completed as soon as possible to avoid any last ditch attempts from Real. In Spain they say the only sticking point is whether Pogba joins United for €120M or €125m. Perez’s poor relationship with Raiola is another hindrance should Real decide to make a late move.

Over in SPORT, they suggest the signing of Andre Gomes could provoke a couple of exits at Barcelona. The club has a bigger than usual squad and after spending more than they expected - and with a striker still to be secured - this could see them looking to generate money from player sales. Surprisingly, both players named by the newspaper are said to be targets of Premier League clubs.

Manchester City are known to be looking for a new goalkeeper and it appears their first choice to challenge - or replace - Joe Hart is Claudio Bravo. The Chilean international hasn’t put a foot wrong for Barcelona but with Martin-Andre ter Stegen pushing for a more prominent role in the side, Bravo appears the most likely to leave. The issue is, as yet, City haven’t made a formal enquiry let alone presented an offer. If they do, then Barcelona would want around €20m for their current number one.

The other potential outgoing is Arda Turan. The Turkish midfielder was happy to wait six months on the sidelines for an opportunity to play for Barcelona but his performances left a lot to be desired and towards the end of the season looked notably unhappy. Arsenal are long-term admirers and could rescue him, but they’d need to part with upwards of €30m.

Atletico Madrid have denied an agreement between themselves and Barcelona for Luciano Vietto is in place, say AS. The biggest problem facing Atletico right now is their distinct lack of striking options. With Antoine Griezmann still on holiday, Fernando Torres is their only recognised striker apart from Vietto and are unlikely to let him leave without a replacement coming in first. This isn’t good news for Luis Enrique as he wants his squad finalised as soon as possible.

Other news and rumours:

- Cristiano Ronaldo spoke about last season being “the best of my life” but he also admitted he was set to miss the start of the new campaign, including the UEFA Super Cup.

- If Atletico fail to lure Diego Costa back to the capital, they could turn their attention to Everton’s Romelu Lukaku. (MARCA)

- Javier Mascherano will perform quite the U-turn at Barcelona and could sign a new contract with the club. (SPORT)

- After Monchi ruled out a move for Carlos Bacca last week, Sevilla are keen to step up the chase for Jonathan Calleri - who is also a target for West Ham. (Estadio Deportivo)

- Jonathas looks likely to abandon Real Sociedad this summer. He’s currently in advanced talks with Rubin Kazan. Fernando Llorente could replace him at Anoeta. (MARCA)