Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)

EUR OUT YOU’RE IN

United want to sell Pogba BEFORE the Euros begin on June 12 to help fund a massive summer rebuild

- BY JEREMY CROSS

MANCHESTER UNITED want to sell Paul Pogba before Euro 2020 begins to avoid a long transfer saga wrecking their summer spending plans.

United are planning a major recruitmen­t drive at the end of the season, with Jadon Sancho, James Maddison, Eric Dier and Jack Grealish all on their radar.

Raising cash from the sale of Pogba will help fund that spree and his agent Mino Raiola has reiterated the midfielder’s desire to leave Old Trafford at the end of the campaign after admitting he would love a return to Juventus.

The World Cup winner has been sidelined with ankle problems and has made only eight appearance­s this season, including just two since September.

He remains determined to quit the club, with Real Madrid and Juve poised to battle it out for his signature. And Raiola admits something could happen following the Euros.

Pogba has been a huge letdown since returning to United from Juve for £90million in 2016, and Raiola said: “Italy is like home for Paul. He would not mind going back to Juve, but we will see what happens after the Euros. Paul wants to play at the best level.”

But United executive vicechairm­an Ed Woodward is desperate to secure a deal to sell Pogba before the tournament starts on June 12 – and will demand £100m for the disillusio­ned midfielder.

Pogba will be in the France side at Euro 2020 and Woodward knows an injury to the 26-year-old could ruin the club’s chances of getting rid of him. United are also expected to travel to India on their summer tour, and Woodward wants to avoid the Pogba situation becoming a huge distractio­n, so will not allow the saga to drag on.

Woodward has told Ole Gunnar Solskjaer he can use the funds raised from the sale of Pogba to sign two new midfielder­s – and one of them could be Tottenham outcast Dier.

The Reds, who also want Leicester’s Maddison, have been long-term admirers of the England internatio­nal without being able to lure him to Old Trafford.

But United bosses believe Dier could be tempted to leave Spurs this summer, with the London club willing to listen to offers for the 26-year-old.

Dier, who grew up supporting the Red Devils, is reluctant to sign a new deal with Spurs amid concerns about his lack of game time under Jose Mourinho.

His current deal expires next year and Spurs chairman Daniel Levy is keen to avoid Dier entering the final 12 months of his contract without signing a new one.

Levy could be left with no choice but to sell Dier to the highest bidder this summer, with the Old Trafford giants ready to pounce.

Manager Solskjaer is confident new loan signing Odion Ighalo can have an immediate impact, despite the fact he has barely trained with his new team-mates.

The Nigerian striker is expected to be on the bench when United travel to Chelsea on Monday night, and Solskjaer said: “As a striker, you get thrown out there, and it might be that he’ll have to come off the bench to give us a goal and do what he does.

“In terms of Odion, we hope adding him will give us a different type of striker. He needs to get up to speed as quickly as he can.”

 ??  ?? Pogba could depart as United eye (left) Grealish, Dier, Maddison and Sancho SIGNS OF THE TIME!
Pogba could depart as United eye (left) Grealish, Dier, Maddison and Sancho SIGNS OF THE TIME!
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