The Paul Pogba conundrum: Will he join Manchester United? Should he? And would he be a success?

Juventus's star player had, by his standards, a poor run of matches for France at Euro 2016.

But his disappointing showings don't seem to have slowed the avalanche of news, views and outrageous speculation from anyone even tangentially connected with football.

Still just 23, Pogba has made a name for himself as one of the finest players in the world, spearheading the Juventus side that has won two successive Italian league and cup doubles, and which made it to the Champions League final in 2015.

Such is his status that the mooted transfer fee of €120 million - that's £100 million, and would be a world record - has been generally accepted without much comment.

Real Madrid are said to have got cold feet about paying so much, but Manchester United don't seem to have any issue with such an outlay.

Of course, United's need is far, far greater than that of a team which won the Champions League just over six weeks ago; though it'll surely sting, given that they would be paying a world record fee for a player whom they allowed to walk away for free just four years ago.

With rumours and counter-rumours swirling, we tackle the big issues with the help of our expert colleagues in Italy and France, as well as some experts.

Does Pogba want to go? Will he go? Should he go? And if he goes, will it all end in tears?

Pogba himself hasn't said much beyond the usual platitudes - his most revealing comment came last January, when he said that he "still loved" Manchester United. But he's also sounded lukewarm on occasion since then, recently criticising the work rate at United compared to Juventus and saying that playing at United was "like being on holiday".

But in the absence of anything more concrete from the man himself, all we have to go on are the words of Pogba's big-shot agent Mino Raiola, one of the most powerful (and talkative) agents in the sport, who has made it clear that Pogba isn't exactly itching to leave: "He is in no rush to leave, and Juventus do not want him to go," the agent said the other day. "They want him to renew his contract. Paul is not desperate to move."

Of course, you never know with Raiola: he changes his tune constantly, depending on whom he's shaking down for more money on any given day. But given Pogba's age and the lack of Champions League football on offer at Manchester United, we can probably take these words at face value. Having won pretty much everything he can at Juve, he'll probably be happy to move... but if it doesn't happen for a while he's unlikely to be too bothered.

It’s early to say if he will go for sure. Juventus haven’t received yet THE offer everybody’s talking about. Once you get the fax with the numbers on it, they will think about it and the player (and his agent) as well.

Pogba is happy at Juventus and he has never talked about leaving Turin. Juventus don't need to sell him. So at the moment you have nothing: no offer, no will to go, no will to sell the player. And now he’s leaving for vacation…

Pogba is an ambitious guy and he wants more and more from his career: at this point in time does going to Manchester United represent a step forwards, sideways or even backwards? The Red Devils are not going to play in the Champions League next year, but then Juventus will probably struggle to sustain their success over the next two seasons. There is one big reason why he could go, however: pride. Sir Alex Ferguson let him go for free four years ago, now he could prove to himself and the club that he is good, and that he was good enough back then.

Paul is still young but he’s growing up, match by match, championship by championship. He’s still switching on and off during matches, so maybe it’s still a bit early for him to be a true team leader – as Euro 206 proved in the last month – but he’s certainly ready for a top-top-top club. My main question is this: is Manchester United the top club he was looking for?

Yes. Mourinho seems to be pushing aggressively to get him, and my guess is Juventus will accept the deal if it’s a world record fee. I’m still wondering how you can break a world record fee for someone you let go for nothing, but Manchester United are definitely able to do things I don’t understand in the market.

No. Paul Pogba would be better off staying with Juve and playing the Champions League with a competitive team this season rather than joining Manchester United. If it was Real Madrid or Barcelona, I would say he should go now. Not Manchester United, at least not this season without the Champions League to play in.

Yes. Mourinho is the kind of coach who can make Pogba improve, and Pogba has incredible potential. It also depends on the players around him on the pitch, but I’m sure Mourinho will take this into consideration if Pogba were to be signed by United.

Manchester United legend Roy Keane was bullish about United's need for Pogba, speaking on ITV at the weekend:

"What you're looking at, is the potential of him," said the Irishman.

"He's still a young player and he will mature over the next few years, and that's why, if does go back to United, they're still buying that potential.

"But he will be a top player for the next ten years."

French superstar Marcel Desaillyhad a different take on it, focusing on the lack of incentive for Pogba to move right now:

"Who is going to give him more than what he has at the moment?" he asked.

“They have given him a new contract, he is winning everything at Juventus, there’s no real pressure. Money? He has a couple of million, he has secured his life with the contract that he has.

“It’s not like it’s an emergency for him where he has to move. He has time.

"Italy is fine. From the outside it doesn’t seem as though it is very attractive but once you are used to being there, playing there – they have a nice stadium a great organisation.

“You have seen already that last season he rejected a lot of offers because he is fine at Juventus. I am sure he is going to stay another year.”'

Desailly's fellow French World Cup winner, Emmanuel Petit, poured scorn on the deal from several different angles:

"He left for free. And they want him back for £100 million! Who’s the sporting director at Manchester United?” said the ex-Arsenal player.

"Imagine what you can do with £100 million. Imagine you have given away your best car and, after a couple of years, you miss it so you want it back. Would you be happy with that?

"It’s a waste of money for me. For £100 million, I would buy Suarez.

"Pogba has a great future, but it is too early. I don’t like the situation around him all the time. We are making him out to be a big star, but he is not a big star for me.”

And finally there is the view of Paul Ince, another ex-United superstar, who thinks Pogba would be ideal for United - and also sees a bigger reason to sign Pogba than just the services of the man himself:

" I remember when I first went to Inter in Serie A and I was that kind of aggressive player and every time I made a tackle I was getting booked, that was frustrating,” Ince told Sky Sports.

"So Pogba now coming into a league where it is tough, where he can show what he’s all about, I think is a perfect fit for him and for Man United.

“If United can get Pogba then that sends out the signal that we are really going for it this year.”

Make no mistake: despite Raiola playing things down a little, this transfer is a genuine likelihood. United will not be afraid of making a world record bid; and if they do, Juventus will almost certainly accept. As for the player himself? After four Scudetti, two Coppa Italia winners' medals and a runner-up spot in the Champions League, Pogba realistically has no more mountains to climb in Italian football. He needs a new challenge, and now is as good a time as any to take it.

Sure, losing a year of Champions League football would be a shame. But it would also give the French playmaker a bit of breathing space to settle back in to English football without the pressure of matches against Europe's very best.

There is a big caveat attached to this whole deal, however. Pogba's disappointing Euro 2016 displays made it abundantly clear that he is a player who needs very careful handling if a manager is to get the best out of him.

Didier Deschamps's haphazard deployment of what should have been a key asset ended up blunting Pogba's edge. The worry must be that if Mourinho's strict system doesn't work for the young star, then United will have the most expensive failure in football history on their hands.