Glazers will decide whether Pogba can leave – and when

The Glazer family will hold the key to Paul Pogba’s hopes of leaving Manchester United this summer.

Pogba is hoping he will finally secure a move after wanting to quit for two years. Mino Raiola, Pogba’s agent, has admitted to holding talks with Juventus while Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane has long coveted his compatriot but neither club are likely to meet United’s valuation.

Real offered £27.6million plus Colombia striker James Rodriguez for Pogba last summer while Juventus did not value him at more than the £89 million for which they sold him to Old Trafford in 2016.

United wanted £160 million last summer but, while that price has since come down, the club are likely to face a serious battle to secure a nine-figure sum for an unhappy player who everyone knows wants out in what will be a crucial summer of rebuilding for manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

United have an option to extend Pogba’s contract by a year until June 2022 and any prospective sale is likely to hinge on whether the Glazers insist the club recoup their money or return a profit on the Frenchman – or are willing to take a hit.

The United owners’ financial micromanagement is well known – even small pay rises for junior staff require the green light from the Americans – so the terms of any sale of their most highprofile player will be dictated by cochairmen Joel and Avram Glazer.

Solskjaer favours an early sale but a successful Euro 2020 with France could boost United’s hopes of securing a better deal for the 26-year-old.

Pogba has missed the majority of this season through injury and Solskjaer admitted before Wednesday’s Europa League tie against Club Bruges, that the midfielder was “not anywhere near” to a return to first-team training.

Pogba had surgery at the start of last month on an osteochondral defect in his right ankle and Solskjaer’s initial prediction of a return within four weeks proved over optimistic. A return around the time of the March internationals has been tentatively floated

United face Watford at Old Trafford today, where loan signing Odion Ighalo is in line to face his former club and midfielder Scott McTominay is due to return after eight weeks out with damaged knee ligaments.