Man United set to off-load £50m Pogba or £30m Lingard to raise funds
Manchester United are set to have to offload players in order to continue their superb summer with the club eyeing up a net spend of between £75million to £100m.
Jadon Sancho’s £73m move from Borussia Dortmund was officially confirmed last week and United are closing in on unveiling Real Madrid defender Raphael Varane as their latest big-name arrival.
But once Varane joins the club imminently, United may then have to focus on selling the likes of Paul Pogba and Jesse Lingard in order to pursue their other targets, as claimed by the Telegraph.
It is believed that centre back Varane will cost United around £42m in total, meaning they have splashed out around £120m already – and this will likely see them look to broker at least one ‘significant’ sale.
A new midfielder and Atletico Madrid right back Kieran Trippier are on the club’s wishlist over the next few weeks, but these chases appear to heavily rely on whether Pogba and Lingard are allowed to leave.
United are under pressure to sell Pogba with Paris Saint-Germain holding strong interest in their superstar midfielder. Sportsmail has recently reported that Mino Raiola is discussing personal terms with the club.
Although Pogba would still command a hefty price tag, it is understood that PSG believe they can sign the former Juventus man around £43million, less than half the figure United had paid back in 2016.
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Despite having just one year left on his £290,000-a-week- contract, Pogba has given United no indications that he is interested in committing his future at Old Trafford. This could see the club cut their losses.
Lingard, meanwhile, also faces an uncertain future. He spent the second half of last season on loan at West Ham and impressed, having scored nine goals in 16 appearances, and looks to be in United’s short-term plans.
The playmaker is another that would command a reasonable sum, and allow United to try and land more signings. Lingard is also in the final year of his deal and is valued at around £30m with multiple clubs keen to swoop.
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Sportsmail revealed that Saul Niguez, a teammate of Trippier’s at Atletico, is a potential replacement for Pogba. Atletico are keen to axe him from their wage bill and may accept an offer of just £45m.
Currently, Trippier wants a return to the Premier League, but a move to United may be scuppered by Atletico’s asking price. Their demand for £43m would certainly stretch United’s transfer budget to the limit.
But for now, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s two primary targets in Sancho and Varane have been secured, and this comes in the wake of the effect the pandemic has taken on United’s coffers. It is believed to have cost them more than £150m.