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Football

03rd Aug 2016

Pic: Juventus appear to have given away Paul Pogba’s squad number

Robert Redmond

This is a sign.

A sign that the most drawn-out summer transfer story in recent memory has descended into further tedium.

The biggest indictment on the football transfer window (beyond the ridiculous transfer fees and Jim White attempting to make Crystal Palace signing James Tomkins seem exciting) is that when a transfer does actually occur, the sense of anti-climax is palpable.

If Manchester United, one of the world’s biggest clubs, signing Paul Pogba, one of the world’s most highly-rated midfielders, for a world record fee can become a snorefest, then what chance does any transfer have of being exciting?

Social media is built on the concept of instant gratification, but transfers are, by their nature, protracted and a complicated process to complete. And while fans wait on the deal to go through, every little detail, from a man sitting at a desk, to the holiday destination of the player, is scrutinised for clues on the outcome of the transfer.

Here’s another hint transfer sleuths can pour over – a Juventus jersey, allegedly on sale in an adidas store in Paris, with Paulo Dybala’s name on a number 10 jersey – Pogba’s squad number with the Italian champions.

It’s a sign of one thing for sure – the return of football can’t come soon enough.

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