Soccer: Juve 'will try to keep Pogba'

(ANSA) - Florence, January 19 - Juventus will do its utmost to keep young star France midfielder Paul Pogba in Turin but will assess a bid if it is big enough, CEO Giuseppe Marotta said Monday.
    "We'll do all we can to keep Pogba, he's a key asset.
    Before he was a promise, now he's a reality," Marotta said.
    "There is no likelihood he will leave Juve now," stressed Marotta, whose club is aiming for their fourth Serie A title in a row. Pogba, who has 23 France caps, has been a standout for Juve this season and was again man of the match in the 4-0 win over Hellas Verona Sunday that increased the Turin giants' title-race lead over AS Roma to five points.
    The tall attacking midfielder, 21, has been linked to a move back to Manchester United, who he left in 2012, while many of Europe's top clubs including Real Madrid and Chelsea are reportedly interested. Marotta hinted that a monster bid might force Juve to reconsider.
    "We know that the Italian championship is a transitional one and so we will take into account eventual offers that may not be compatible with our size," he said.
    Juve boss Massimiliano Allegri said Sunday that Pogba, who scored against Verona to bring his season's Serie A tally to five, was a potential future world player of the year. "Pogba is young, even though we treat him like a veteran," Allegri said. "Ballon d'Or? I think you would need to win a Champions League, European Championship or World Cup, but he's got the potential to get there." Pogba, who never started a game for Manchester United, has scored seven goals in 24 appearances in all competitions this season for Juventus, including three in his last three. The youngster has been linked with a 77-million-pound move back to United, whom he said in a recent interview he still loves. When asked about his reported value after the Verona match, Pogba said: "I am worth zero euros. I am worth nothing unless I work on the field in every single game. "I need to do more because I want to be a champion just like Gianluigi Buffon, Andrea Pirlo and Giorgio Chiellini. "I want to be one of the best players in the world and to be able to reach this level, I need to play well. I focus on working on the pitch and giving all I've got for the squad."