FRANK TALK WINS KEPA PLACE BACK
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.”
By TONY BANKS
KEPA ARRIZABALAGA is poised for a Chelsea recall against Manchester United on Monday after impressing manager Frank Lampard with his reaction to being axed. The Spanish international goalkeeper (above) was dropped for the 2-2 draw at Leicester before the winter break.
But he had talks to clear the air with Lampard this week and is now expected to return to replace Willy Caballero at Stamford Bridge. Arrizabalaga, 25, who cost Chelsea a world-record £71.6million in the summer of 2018, paid the price for a series of below-par displays.
But Lampard said: “Kepa’s reaction has been good, as I would expect. He has been head down, working hard. “I want everyone’s reaction to be spot on. He came out of the team. I know how that feels and what it would have meant to him. Every player has it, except for maybe Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo.
“I don’t expect smiley faces when people get dropped. I expect reactions. It is not easy. “I know as a player I was not brilliant at it. But sometimes it can make you stronger.
“We are playing at a high level. There is competition in the squad and you have to respect the players that are coming in. Sometimes I make decisions that they don’t like. That is the brutal reality.” Winger Christian Pulisic is still not ready after a hip injury and Lampard will leave it late on striker Tammy Abraham, who has an ankle problem.