Ole Gunnar Solskjae rules out January departure for Pogba

Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has made it crystal clear that midfielder Paul Pogba will not be sold in January amid persistent rumours of an imminent bid from Real Madrid.

Speculation has been rife about the 26-year-old’s future ever since the World Cup winner admitted over the summer that he was open to a new challenge elsewhere.

Pogba has only appeared six times since then due to an ankle injury and a report on Thursday evening suggested that team-mates and club officials felt the midfielder had almost certainly played his last game for United.

Real Madrid have a long-standing interest in the France international and were expected to make a move for him when the transfer window opens next month but that may not be the case as Solskjaer insists he is not leaving Old Trafford during the January window.

“He’s not getting sold in January, no,” Solskjaer said. “He’s training but he’s not been training with us for long. He’s training and that’s a step forward for us.

“Yeah, of course (I understand all the interest around him because he’s a fantastic player, a charismatic personality and for us we’re happy that he’s here.”

Solskjaer had expected to have Pogba back before the end of the year, only for illness to hamper his return to first-team training.

He will again be absent when United travel to Watford on Sunday but the midfielder is apparently not far off a return to the side.

Pogba’s outspoken agent Raiola fuelled speculation over the summer about the player leaving but now says his client wants to stay at Old Trafford and be part of a winning side.