Pogba to be made Manchester United captain to ward off Real Madrid

Manchester United are prepared to make Paul Pogba club captain next season in a bid to fend off interest from Real Madrid, claims The Daily Mirror.

Madrid have identified Pogba as a top transfer target this summer and United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has conceded the Spanish side may have already started a campaign to prise him away from Old Trafford.

However, United have no interest in selling Pogba and have already told the 2018 World Cup winner he is going no where at the end of the season.

The Red Devils want to secure the 26-year-old’s long-term future as quickly as possible but will almost certainly have to eclipse Alexis Sanchez’s reported £500,000-a-week wages to convince Pogba to renew.

Salary demands have proved a sticking point in contract talks with David De Gea and United can expect similar difficulty when dealing with Pogba and his agent, Mino Raiola.

However, United are willing to go one further in talks with Pogba’s camp and promise him the captain’s armband from next season.

Antonio Valencia is United’s current club captain but is leaving at the end of the season when his current contract expires.

Former United manager Jose Mourinho told Pogba in September 2018 he would never captain the club again during his time at the club but now he is poised to land the job on a full-time basis if he remains at the club.

Pogba scored two penalties in a 2-1 win over West Ham on Saturday to boost United’s challenge for a top four finish. The United No.6 has remarkably now played a direct hand in 22 league goals this season (13 goals, nine assists).

Furthermore, only Luka Milivojevic (10) has scored more penalties than Pogba (seven) in the Premier League this season.