Chelsea confident that Pogba deal is still possible — report

Did you think the Paul Pogba rumors were over just because our opening bid was rejected?  Yeah, I didn't either.

Mourinho told Chelsea officials that Pogba is a must after today's game against WBA. A new bid expected soon.

— Sergi Domínguez (@FutbolSergi) August 23, 2015

Needless to say, this doesn't mean Pogba is off to Chelsea, nor Stones is. But Mourinho is obstinate and wants both.

— Sergi Domínguez (@FutbolSergi) August 23, 2015

Obstinate is Mourinho's middle name.  And even if it weren't, we'd be silly to not utilize the remaining few days of the transfer window to either try pull off the biggest transfer of the summer (if not football history) or, if nothing else, at least grease some palms and build relationships for upcoming transfer windows.

There is a belief that Chelsea's transfer team, name-checked by Mourinho on Friday, of director Marina Granovskaia and technical director Michael Emenalo, can get a deal done - but there are no guarantees.

-source: Independent

Juventus supposedly want at least £70m for Pogba, while the player himself is looking for a salary in excess of £200k per-week.  Those sound outrageous, they may even be outrageous, but they are well within our means.

At £70m + 5 year deal at £220k pw, Paul Pogba would cost £25.4m py. Chelsea's Yokohama deal sees the club earn an extra £22m py. Doable.

— Jake Cohen (@JakeFCohen) August 23, 2015

Paul Pogba was in Juventus' squad as they slumped to 1-0 opening day loss to Udinese.  We have ten days to save him from such egregious suffering.