HEADACHE FOR SOLSKJAER

United manager faces battle to keep De Gea and Pogba at Old Trafford

MANCHESTER United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is set for a busy summer transfer window but his No 1 priority is reportedly ensuring that Paul Pogba and David de Gea do not move.

United are expected to bolster their defence with a new centre half and a full back, while additions in midfield are also on

the cards.

But according to The Mirror, Solskjaer’s most important task is making sure Pogba and De Gea remain at Old Trafford.

Reports in Spain have claimed that Real Madrid are set to make a move for Pogba, 26, with coach Zinedine Zidane said to have begun his quest to charm his fellow Frenchman.

But The Mirror state that Solskjaer has spoken to Pogba — who is under contract until 2021 — and made it clear that he is staying put.

Solskjaer has apparently delivered a similar message to goalkeeper De Gea.

The 28-year-old stopper is only contracted to the Old Trafford outfit for another 15 months, but United hope that a new deal can be struck to avoid him leaving for free in 2020.

Pogba and De Gea have both been key players for United this season.

Pogba has provided 11 goals and nine assists in 28 Premier League appearances, while Neil Etheridge and Lukasz Fabianski are the only goalkeepers to have made more top-flight saves than De Gea this term.

Real have stepped up their pursuit of Pogba by launching ‘Operation Pogba’.

The World Cup winner is very much on Los Blancos’ radar and the La Liga giants hope his agent Mino Raiola ‘can apply pressure’ at Old Trafford to lure him away, according to Spanish publication Marca.

Zidane, however, reportedly expects a ‘drawn-out saga’ to try to bring Pogba to the Bernabeu in the summer transfer window.

Ahead of France’s Euro 2020 qualifying win over Moldova last month, Pogba was quizzed on interest from Spain.

“Like I’ve always said, Real Madrid is a dream for anyone. It’s one of the biggest clubs in the world,” Pogba said.

“There is also Zidane as a coach and it’s a dream for anybody who likes football. For now, I’m at Manchester. We don’t know what the future holds. I’m at Manchester and I’m happy.”

Zidane warmly welcomed the interest expressed by Pogba in moving to Real this summer.

Meanwhile, Eden Hazard’s move to Real is on the verge of being completed, according to reports in Spain.

Real will capture the signing of 28-year-old Hazard on a six-year contract ‘in the coming days’, according to Marca.

However, Chelsea expect to receive £100 million (RM533 million) for Hazard from Real, rather than the £86 million figure the Spanish press are reporting was agreed.

The use of newspaper Marca as a negotiating device will not affect Chelsea’s stance as they prepare for a potential Fifa transfer ban this summer.

Chelsea’s appeal against the two-window ban will be heard on Thursday.