Manchester United are reportedly set to open the door for Paul Pogba’s exit by signing Saul Niguez and Donny van de Beek before the start of next season.
Pogba pushed for a move last summer, declaring it would be “a dream” to join Real Madrid , while he was also linked with a return to his former club Juventus .
The French World Cup-winning midfielder is contracted to United until 2021 but has shown no signs of wanting to commit to a new deal.
United have always publicly insisted that the 26-year-old was part of their plans – but they are aiming to prepare for his exit by signing Niguez from Atletico Madrid and Ajax’s Van de Beek, according to the Daily Mail .
Pogba is currently injured, and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s United side have started to click in his absence with Scott McTominay and Fred paired in midfield.
He is close to returning to action after two and a half months out with an ankle injury, but questions have been raised about how he would fit into the more fluid system being developed under Solskjaer this season.
If United were to sell this summer they would probably recoup most, if not all, of the club record £89million they paid to bring him back to Old Trafford from Juventus in 2016.
They would also be getting his £290,000-per-week wages off the books.
United they could plough that cash back into the playing squad as they target two midfielders and a striker.
(Image: SIPA USA/PA Images)
Niguez and Van de Beek are their top targets in midfield, the Mail reports, while Red Bull Salzburg hitman Erling Braut Haaland is believed to be United’s first choice in the forward department.
It has been reported that Haaland has a release clause of just £17m, but the 19-year-old Norwegian has been in record-breaking scoring form in the Champions League and a bidding war is likely to ensure when the January transfer window opens.
Niguez is reported to have a release clause of £135m in his Atletico contract, while Van de Beek is valued at around £45m, according to Transfermarkt .
