United demand world record fee for Pogba
MANCHESTER UNITED want a world record £200m fee for Paul Pogba. The French star’s exit from the club looks increasingly likely, with the midfielder involved in another bust-up with boss Jose Mourinho yesterday.
But he may not leave until next summer at the earliest because Barcelona, the club he wants to join, do not have the funds to buy him in January.
Pogba, who will have to submit a formal transfer request, saw tensions escalate with Mourinho yesterday before a training session for players not involved in Tuesday’s shock Carabao Cup defeat to Derby.
The United boss appeared to make a remark that caused the 25-year-old to turn round and scowl at him.
The warring pair then exchanged words in a heated conversation at which point Mourinho called over
club press officer John Allen. Mourinho appears to be upset that Pogba posted a video on Instagram showing him and team-mates Luke Shaw and Andreas Pereira laughing in the stands during the Carabao Cup defeat.
Allen spoke with both men before Pogba marched off and was then seen shrugging his shoulders at his team-mates. Allen declined to comment on the discussion yesterday.
Mourinho and Pogba’s rocky relationship has soured even more recently.
Pogba has been critical of his manager’s tactics and it is understood he has told him he wants to leave.
That prompted Mourinho to tell Pogba he will never skipper United again despite wearing the armband three times this season.
Pogba’s agent Mino Raiola has been trying to engineer a move away for his client for some months. But United are determined to hold out for a fee in excess of the £198m Paris St-Germain paid to lure Neymar from Barcelona.
Barca want to sign Pogba but they need to reduce their huge wage bill – which accounts for 84 per cent of their income – before making a move.
There are other problems behind the scenes at United, with several players unhappy at executive vice chairman Ed Woodward’s backing of Mourinho.
Woodward is concerned that a clique has developed within the squad involving Pogba, Romelu Lukaku, Marcus Rashford and Jesse Lingard.
Several other members of the squad are also concerned by Mourinho’s man-management of the group.
But despite the growing disharmony that is threatening to send United’s season off the rails, Woodward remains on Mourinho’s side.