Juventus Reportedly Want Up £200m for Manchester United Target Paulo Dybala (Details, pics)

Manchester United will reportedly have to shell out up to £200 million if they want to sign Juventus forward Paulo Dybala after the Serie A champions are said to have set their asking price for the attacking star.

The Red Devils were being linked with a move for as much as £60 million, but The Independent has since reported the Bianconeri could look to acquire more than three times that figure (Alex Porter of the Manchester Evening News).It's said that in order for Juve to sell, "negotiations would need to start at £140 million," but they're hopeful of getting a price closer to £200 million in the event multiple clubs raise interest in their 24-year-old.

The report comes after Juventus manager Massimiliano Allegri has opted to bench his forward for the last three league outings, although Italian football writer David Amoyal doesn't envision an exit anytime soon:Porter's report is backed by rumours that United manager Jose Mourinho is looking to add a "magician" to his attack. Comments Dybala gave to France Football suggest there may be reason for him to consider an Old Trafford move.

The Argentinian noted Red Devils talisman Paul Pogba as a missed figure in Turin and said: "Pogba's departure was a tough hit for me. He is a friend of mine, we were on very good terms on and off the pitch."

The £200 million figure Juventus could seek for their star would see Dybala match the world-record fee that Paris Saint-Germain paid Barcelona for Neymar this past summer. It helps their case that the player also has four-and-a-half years remaining on his current contract.

Despite falling out of favour in recent outings, his omissions come at the end of a busy year, as recently shown by Goal:There's likely to be more big investment at Old Trafford next year, after Manchester City have powered clear in the Premier League this season. Their dominance has led Mourinho to believe the £300 million spent on players since his arrival is "not enough," per BBC Sport.

Striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic has a contract with United until the end of the season and will free up a large chunk of the wage bill should he leave when the deal expires in the summer, while others could be sold to release funds.

If Dybala's lack of recent playing time is any indication of his availability, now could be the time for the Red Devils to strike, particularly for a player who has shown a knack for creating magic, per OptaPaolo:

Juventus signed the Argentina international from Palermo for a fee of £30 million in 2015, and the opportunity to more than quadruple their investment could arise next summer in the event United get serious.

The English powerhouse's board have shown a willingness to back their manager in the transfer market thus far during his reign, but another club-record move looks likely to be required if they want Dybala in 2018.