Report: Barcelona drops out of Paul Pogba race; Paris Saint-Germain now clear favorite

Well, if you wanted Paul Pogba to sign for Barcelona, you might direct your prayers and wishes towards another guy.

According to multiple sources with knowledge of the situation, the Catalans have dropped out of the race for the 21-year-old Juventus star, after the Old Lady refused three consecutive offers from sporting director Ariedo Braida, which included a reported giant package close to €125 million that included money and players.

Barça had unsuccessfully tried to sign Pogba in the past, and the latest refusals from Juve's officials have led to a resolution of no longer pursuing the French phenom. With Barça out of the race, Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain are considered to be the strongest competitors, but according to reports from Italy, Juve prefers to sell to PSG, mainly because of the financial aspects -- even though PSG is reportedly offering €40 million less than Barça's crazy package, sources say.

Now that Pogba is reportedly out of the question, the Blaugrana will focus solely on signing Borussia Dortmund's Ilkay Gundogan, a deal that seems closer and closer to becoming reality. If that doesn't work out for some reason, the next tier of targets includes PSG's Marco Verratti, Atlético Madrid's Koke, and Inter Milan's Mateo Kovacic, all three long shots at this point.

Another long shot: Barça signing Pogba. I would call that Mission: Impossible 6 right now. You're welcome, Tom Cruise.