Time up for Paul at United
78 Sunday Mail
Manchester United want to sell Paul Pogba next month.
The £89million Frenchman has become such a divisive figure in the dressing room that United chiefs are now ready to flog him for a second time, less than three years after making the 25-year-old the most expensive player in the world.
Beleaguered boss Jose Mourinho has run out of patience with the midfielder.
But it is understood United are planning to cash in on him next month regardless of whether Mourinho stays. The feeling is it is best to part ways now to help Mourinho turn the season around and ensure that any prospective new gaffer does not inherit the problem next summer.
The club will listen to offers when the transfer window opens next month.
That could include allowing the World Cup winner to leave on loan as long as the deal includes the option of a permanent transfer.
Juventus, who bought Pogba from United for just £2m when his contract expired in 2012 and then sold him back to the Reds four years later, have already registered an interest.
The Turin giants have won seven successive Serie A titles, but have pinpointed the Champions League after the summer signing of Cristiano Ronaldo from Real Madrid.
United would like Juventus ace Miralem Pjanic but are likely to have more success if they try to engineer a swap deal involving defender Alex Sandro. He was watched by United scouts in the midweek Champions League game with Young Boys in Switzerland.
Paris St Germain are also sure to join the bidding, although Pogba has an ambition to move to Spain with either Real or Barcelona.
Pogba and Mourinho have been embroiled in a war of words for most of the season.
He hasn’t started in either of United’s last two league games and the boss faces a big decision whether to call on him for today’s crunch clash at title-chasing Liverpool.