Manchester United opening talks over hiring Zinedine Zidane to replace Jose Mourinho as their manager has reportedly been motivated by the Paul Pogba transfer situation.
The France international has struggled to hit top form during his time with United, and many feel he has never looked a good fit for current manager Mourinho.
MORE: Barcelona president responds to potential £100m Paul Pogba transfer raid on Manchester United
Their relationship does now seem to be unravelling after a difficult start to the season, in which Pogba has seen his form dip yet again despite arriving back at Old Trafford high on confidence after a starring role in his country’s World Cup win in the summer.
A video emerged last week showing Pogba and Mourinho seeming to come to blows in training…
JUST IN! ?
Frosty footage just in from @ManUtd's training session between Paul Pogba and Jose Mourinho… ??
What has been said between the pair this morning? ? pic.twitter.com/nRiTEgDJlH
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) September 26, 2018
Since then, it’s also been claimed by beIN Sports that United have made initial contacts with Zidane, while the Sun have reported that the Frenchman is learning English in preparation for the job.
Manchester United have had initial conversations with Zinedine Zidane. #mufc [beIN] pic.twitter.com/1HVov19dTG
— United Xtra (@utdxtra) September 29, 2018
Manchester United’s Zidane pursuit motivated by Pogba
Now the latest update on the whole saga comes from a tweet from journalist Mootaz Chehade, who claims the club are speeding up negotiations with Zidane out of a fear of losing Pogba.
The 25-year-old has been linked by the Daily Mirror as a top target for Barcelona, and it would be little surprise at this point if he were tempted to escape Mourinho for the Nou Camp.
Manchester United are so keen on keeping Paul Pogba at the club and they see the best way to do so is to speed up the negotiations with Zinedine Zidane, they believe the French boss can get the best out of Pogba and stop his agent from trying to find a way out.
— Mootaz Chehade (@MHChehade) September 30, 2018
Chehade writes, however, that United believe Zidane could represent their best hope of persuading Pogba to stay, with the 46-year-old tactician perhaps the best man to get the player firing again.
Clearly a world class talent, Pogba has shown what he can do for his old club Juventus and for the French national team, with his only real struggles coming under the restrictive management of Mourinho.
MORE: Five things Zinedine Zidane would instantly change after replacing Jose Mourinho at Manchester United
With the Portuguese failing to really take the team forward since his arrival in 2016, many fans will most likely now be hoping Zidane can come in and repair the damage as soon as possible.
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