One of the biggest transfer sagas of the summer is shaping up to be Paul Pogba's desired exit from Manchester United.
Three years after making a return to Old Trafford for a then world-record £89million fee, the midfielder has confirmed he wants "a new challenge" for the 2019-20 season.
He struggled with both form and fitness under Jose Mourinho and, along with most of the squad, underwhelmed last season despite racking up his best attacking stats of his second United spell.
Now United must decide whether to cash in or force Pogba to stay as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's new era kicks into gear.
Here's what we know so far courtesy of James Robson and Ben Hayward...
Who wants to sign him?
A lot of clubs, but namely Real Madrid and Juventus. Any fee the player would command means only a handful of clubs could afford a deal.
Pogba's wording of "a new challenge" could be interpreted as ruling out a return to Turin, though his preference can only be speculated upon at the moment.
Reports in Italy claim Pogba would, in fact, prefer Juve and the club are actively looking into if a deal is feasible.
Zinedine Zidane is a long-term admirer of the midfielder and is understood to have made Pogba a key target having completed a deal for Eden Hazard. Club president Florentino Perez is thought to prefer Tottenham’s Christian Eriksen, the Dane the cheaper option with just one year left on his contract .
Is the deal close?
No. First, United have to be convinced to sell their most high-profile player.
Standard Sport understands that Pogba convinced Solskjaer he wanted to be part of his United revolution before publicly declaring his intention to leave.
As it stands, United have told Pogba that he will be a United player next season. However, Solskaer must decide if he can rebuild trust with him or sanction a sale. The commercial value will be an important consideration for Ed Woodward amid all of this.
Solskjaer wants his squad for next season, with all transfer business concluded, to be in place for United’s pre-season tour to Australia and the Far East in mid-July so his future will need to be resolved by then.
How much will he cost?
It’s believed United would want in excess of £130m if they were to reluctantly accept Pogba’s decision to leave.
Madrid were put off a move for Pogba when the midfielder became available in 2016, baulking at the £89.3m fee, but the World Cup winner would be even more costly this time around and Real need to sell several players before they are able to fund a deal which could rise to £150m.
Changes in the fiscal laws in Italy could also have an impact as Serie A sides would be able to offer more attractive financial packages to signings from July 15, with new arrivals from overseas set to be offered tax breaks from around 47 per cent to 30% in the north and 44% to as low as 15% in the south.
Juventus have been linked with both James and Isco, while AC Milan legend Paolo Maldini was spotted in Madrid this week for talks with Perez over Dani Ceballos and possibly Isco as well.
Reinvesting the funds accrued from those sales could be key to signing Pogba, but the need to dispense with players—plus the changes to tax laws in Italy and their possible effect—means a potential move for the France midfielder is unlikely to happen until much later in the window.
Who could replace him?
While they have remained determined to keep hold of him—with Solskjaer even considering him as captain material—United have already begun the process of identifying replacements.
But the prospect of replacing Pogba is an unwanted headache for Solskjaer, who already has a major rebuild on his hands. The intention was to recruit two midfielders, even before the prospect of Pogba’s potential departure.
Should Pogba leave, Solskjaer would almost certainly look to bring in a third midfielder while supporters and investors would demand a marquee signing.
Monaco’s Youri Tielemans and Tottenham playmaker Christian Eriksen are both under consideration.
Leicester’s James Maddison is another attacking midfielder to have caught Solskjaer’s eye, while United are among a queue of clubs tracking Benfica starlet Joao Felix - though the Portugal youngster looks set to join Atletico Madrid.
An audacious move for former Liverpool star Phillippe Coutinho has not been ruled out after his struggles at Barcelona, while Sporting's Bruno Fernandes has also caught the eye.
