Manchester United are ready to let Paul Pogba leave on a free transfer at the end of the season and will not consider a January sale, say reports.
The France international’s Old Trafford deal expires in June and long-running talks for an extension have gone nowhere.
The Telegraph writes that a senior club source has confirmed United won’t consider cashing in during the winter transfer window to avoid losing the midfielder for nothing.
The source added that the Red Devils know “some agents like free transfers and we are always open-eyed about that”, in reference to Pogba’s representative Mino Raiola.
Pogba’s departure has felt more and more inevitable as the months roll by, with no progress being made over a renewal despite seemingly endless discussions.
Losing him for free would be a big financial blow. The Premier League giants spent £89 million to bring the midfielder back from Juventus in 2016, four years after he left Old Trafford for Italy on a free.
Now history could repeat itself, as the Italians are among the interested suitors this time around too, along with Real Madrid and PSG.
The newspaper’s source said they “did not see why we would consider” a January sale, despite the obvious answer being that it would allow the club to bring in a sizeable transfer fee for a player who is heading out the door anyway.
But the 28-year-old now looks set to stay put and help in the effort to turn things around as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer fights to keep his job.
The Frenchman was sent off just 15 minutes after coming off the bench in a humiliating 5-0 defeat at home to Liverpool last weekend that piled pressure on the Norwegian.
He started the season brightly with seven assists in four Premier League games, but Pogba’s – and United’s – form has dropped off considerably since then.
Subscribe to FourFourTwo today and save over a third on standard price.
Restock your kit bag with the best deals for footballers on Amazon right now
ALSO READ
FEATURE Liverpool's revival: 5 reasons Jurgen Klopp's Reds are so good right now
QUIZ! Can you name every Premier League club's stat-holders?
