Manchester United star Paul Pogba reportedly had a meeting with Zinedine Zidane and Real Madrid president Florentino Perez during the last summer transfer window to discuss a ponteial move to the Santiago Bernabeu. However, Cadena Cope says that the France international decided to join Jose Mourinho's side instead as Los Blancos 'only' offered him a €6m (£5.1m, $6.4m) a-year-deal.

Pogba, 24, was heavily linked with a move to the La Liga giants since his compatriot Zidane took over Rafa Benitez at the Real Madrid dugout in January 2016.

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Zidane never hid his admiration for the Frenchman and was said to be interested in bringing the former Juventus star to add some power to his talented midfield formed by the likes of Luka Modric, Toni Kroos and Isco.

Cope journalist Paco Gonzalez, who is one of the most reliable in Spain regarding Real Madrid issues, says that the interest in the France international was so strong that president Florentino Perez and Zidane set then a meeting with the player to convince him to snub the overtures of Manchester United and move to the Bernabeu.

Paul Pogba
Pogba joined Manchester United from Juventus in a deal worth £89. Getty Images

However, the meeting was unfruitful as Real Madrid told Pogba that he would 'only' earn €6m a-year during his first season at the club – and would need to get a consequent pay rise as has been the case with other major stars like Gareth Bale.

Cope says that Pogba, who was not with his agent Mino Raiola in the meeting, turned down the proposal and decided to move instead to Manchester United to earn more than double.

The report from Cope is evidently not new at all as Zidane himself already confirmed in October that Real Madrid had conversations with Pogba during the summer before the Frenchman agreed to move to Manchester United instead.

But asked during an interview with RMC whether Real Madrid had any option to sign the United star during the summer, Zidane admitted: "It could have happened. There were conversations (to sign him) but it didn't go ahead."

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