Paris Saint-Germain superstar Neymar has sounded out Paul Pogba over a potential transfer to the Ligue 1 champions as the Frenchman’s poor relationship with Jose Mourinho continues to fuel speculation he could be on his way out of Old Trafford, Goal can reveal.
Pogba publicly stated after his side’s Premier League opener against Leicester City back in August that he would be in trouble if he spoke up about his situation, hinting at a bad relationship with Mourinho, and things have gone from bad to worse ever since.
The 25-year-old refused to rule out a move away from United during the international break in September amid ongoing rumours that he has set his sights on a transfer to Barcelona and Mourinho then stripped the France international of the vice-captaincy after he seemingly criticised his tactics following the 1-1 draw with Wolves.
The former Juventus’ man’s struggles in Manchester have not gone unnoticed elsewhere and Neymar gave Pogba a call toward the end of September to see whether he’s happy with life at United and if he would be open to a move to PSG.
The pair have been friends for some time and Neymar also regularly spoke with Pogba when he was a Barcelona target back in 2016 in an attempt to convince him to come to Camp Nou.
Neymar himself was heavily linked with a move to Real Madrid during the summer transfer window, but eventually stayed put and his desire to see PSG further improve their squad suggests he is more committed to the project in Paris than initially thought.
The tricky attacker is now hoping to convince PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi that Pogba could help take the club to the next level as they chase Champions League glory, although it seems unlikely the Ligue 1 giants can afford to bring in the midfielder during the January transfer window.
The Paris side are still under investigation from UEFA following the big-money arrivals of Neymar and Kylian Mbappe, with doubts lingering over whether both moves were in line with Financial Fair Play regulations.
PSG sold the likes of Goncalo Guedes, Javier Pastore, Yuri Berchiche and Odsonne Edouard ahead of the 2018-19 campaign to balance the books somewhat, but they would need to offload a number of other players if they are to be able to make another big-money signing such as Pogba.
United paid a record fee of €105 million (£89.3m) for the dynamic midfielder in 2016 and it seems unlikely they will allow Pogba to leave on the cheap, regardless of the recent uproar around him.
He has a contract at Old Trafford until June 2021, with United holding the right to take up a one-year option at the end of the deal.
A move to PSG in January thus very much seems impossible, but Neymar’s desire to team up with the flamboyant midfielder could prove an added incentive for Al-Khelaifi to make a move at the end of the season in an attempt to keep his star man happy, while at the same time strengthening the team with a player who ticks a lot of boxes both on and off the pitch.