Paul Pogba looks set to finally seal his switch away from Manchester United - after opening transfer talks with Paris Saint-Germain.
The Frenchman's deal expires at Old Trafford this summer, six years after the club broke their transfer record to return for his second stint from Juventus in a £89million deal. After another underwhelming season in a red shirt, Pogba is ready to leave after reaching no agreement over extending his contract.
Pogba, 29, has not won a trophy at United since the Europa League in 2017 and the Red Devils are now in grave danger of missing out on Champions League qualification after a humbling 1-0 defeat away to relegation-battling Everton. The World Cup winner came off the bench at Goodison Park and has managed just 14 Premier League starts this season after battling injuries.
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And with summer fast approaching, Pogba is said to be planning his exit route out of United, where uncertainty still reigns due to the lack of clarity on the appointment of a permanent manager to replace Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. According to FootMercato, Pogba has already held meetings with PSG's sporting director Leonardo, who has outlined his plan to sign the midfielder.
It is claimed in the report that Pogba has hinted that he and his family would like to move to the French capital, where he would join up with Mauricio Pochettino and star alongside the likes of Lionel Messi and Neymar. Former club Juventus have also been linked with making a swoop on a free transfer but it is unlikely they will rival PSG for his transfer.
Meanwhile, a United contract extension also appears to now be off the table after Pogba turned down a mammoth offer in October that would reportedly have made him the highest-paid player in England. Ex-United assistant manager Rene Meulensteen believes the time is right for Pogba to leave Old Trafford and questioned whether he was ever actually suited to the Premier League.
“Failure is a big word but has he lived up to the expectations? I don’t think so,” Meulensteen told Astro Sports. "He knew what the expectations were when he came back, to compete for the Premier League and the Champions League.
“Not everything has clicked with the players around him or the system, does he actually suit the Premier League? What frustrated me a little bit is Paul has never really outspoken his commitment to United. He’s never come out there and said he’s going to bring United back to where they belong."
