KEY POINTS

  • Paul Pogba turned down a $68.5 million contract extension with Manchester United
  • The club won't allow him to leave on a free transfer next summer
  • PSG and Real Madrid emerge as favorites to sign the French player

Manchester United has had an eventful summer transfer window highlighted by their signing of Borussia Dortmund’s Jadon Sancho after a long and drawn-out transfer saga that started last year.

However, a key piece of the club’s midfielder group is set to leave Old Trafford this summer.

Paul Pogba has reportedly turned down Manchester United’s £50 million ($68.5 million) contract extension as it is set to run out by next summer, but the club is not going to let that happen after they signed him to an English Premier League then-record transfer fee of £89 million ($121.8 million), now belonging to Manchester City after their signing of Harry Kane from Tottenham.

With his decision to decline the extension, Manchester United will now be even more open to listening to transfer bids for the French national and a move to Ligue 1 seems to be in the cards.

To interested clubs, Manchester United has set a £50 million ($68.5 million) asking price, the same amount as their extension offer.

Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid are among the clubs most interested in signing the world-class midfielder this summer.

Real Madrid’s financial woes make it unlikely that they’ll be able to pry away Pogba with that reported price tag since they’ve also encountered the same problem in their pursuit of PSG’s Kylian Mbappe.

However, Los Blancos can still get Pogba to the Bernabeu, but it will be in exchange for Raphael Varane, the defender who has also been linked to Manchester United for quite some time now.

For PSG, signing Pogba will be a breeze and a great addition to the wealth of talent joining such as Gianluigi Donnarumma, Sergio Ramos, Georginio Wijnaldum and Achraf Hakimi.

90min reported that PSG is ready to field a £45 million ($61.6 million) bid for Pogba as they try to bolster their midfield in the hopes of making a run back to the Ligue 1 title after losing out on it to Lille by just one point.

Manchester United will have some options this summer in regards to where Pogba will go, but all signs point to him going back home to France and joining PSG.

Donny van de Beek is expected to take over the hole that Pogba will leave, finally giving him a chance to shine at Old Trafford.

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