Since parting company with Manchester United for as little as £800,000 in 2012, Paul Pogba's rise to stardom has made the midfielder one of the most sought after players on the continent this summer.

With both Manchester City and Manchester United expressing an early interest in the talented Frenchman, Juventus' chief executive, Giuseppe Marotta, is keen to start a bidding war for one of his most prized possessions.

However, after refusing to match the Italian club's £71million valuation last summer, Manchester City again seem reluctant to splash out such a hefty sum, paving the way for Mourinho to lure Pogba back to the Red Devils.

It is no secret that Mourinho is an admirer of Pogba's talents, having attempted to sign the midfielder for Chelsea last year, and already making him a top transfer target so early on in his tenure as United manager.

So, haunted by his previous failure, Mourinho will have an added impetus to not let the chance slip through his fingers a second time and is reportedly willing to break the British record transfer fee by tabling a massive £60million bid in order to secure the French international's services.

Although Manchester United will be buoyed by Guardiola cooling his interest in the midfielder, one huge challenge for Mourinho will be to quell the interest from La Liga - Pogba is known to favour Spain and a move to either Barcelona or Real Madrid.

Another stumbling block is that United cannot use Champions League football as a bargaining factor, while the two Spanish giants have shared the trophy between them over the past three years - an ominous trend that the English clubs will be desperate to stop.

But following United's £30million capture of Villareal's Eric Bailly, speculation surrounding a £78million bid for Paul Pogba suggests money will be the motif in the Mourinho era and does signal an intent to build a highly-competitive side.

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