Paul Pogba enjoys more fun and games in the playground on holiday as Manchester United close in on £100m world record deal

Paul Pogba may be a matter of days away from becoming the world's most expensive player, but the Manchester United target remains the kid who is content with having a ball in the playground.
United's executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward has already thrashed out the terms of Pogba’s prospective five-year contract worth £220,000 a week, but the sought-after midfielder was thousands of miles away enjoying the final few days of his holiday.
Pogba, who was pictured earlier this week playing basketball with Everton striker Romelu Lukaku, returned to the sport in which he has made his name, playing football with friends in a Los Angeles park.







PAUL POGBA 2015-16 STATS


CLUB


Games: 49


Goals: 10


Assists: 12


Honours: Serie A, Coppa Italia


INTERNATIONAL


Games: 11


Goals: 1 Assists: 0


Wearing an LA Lakers vest in the sweltering Miami heat, the France international showed off his skills before removing his shirt to reveal his ripped torso during a kickabout with his close associates.


Juventus rejected an improved offer of £92million from United, and the Italian club are demanding that any deal leaves them with a clear £100m after United pay Pogba’s agent Mino Raiola his agreed 20 per cent bonus.


The 23-year-old Frenchman is ready sacrifice a year in the Champions League by rejoining the club he left in acrimonious circumstances back in 2012.











Despite Pogba being set on a return to Old Trafford after spending the European Championship deliberating over his future, his current employers are preparing one last offer to increase his current £72,000 a week wage.


But United, who kept the No 6 shirt vacant when they announced their provisional squad numbers for the new season, are confident their efforts to sign their primary summer transfer target will bear fruit, after Woodward remained in the UK to thrash out the deal with the squad on tour in China.


In his first interview with the national newspapers since being appointed as United manager, Jose Mourinho refused to comment on the growing speculation linking Pogba with a return to Manchester, but admitted his business is '75 per cent' complete.










UNITED PRE-SEASON FIXTURES


July 22 v Borussia Dortmund, Shanghai Stadium, Shanghai (1pm)


July 25 v Manchester City, Beijing National Stadium, Beijing (12.30pm)


July 30 v Galatasaray, Ullevi Stadium, Gothenberg (6.30pm)


August 3, United v Everton, Wayne Rooney Testimonial, Old Trafford (8pm)


'I don’t speak about players from other clubs,' he said. 'He’s a Juventus player. If any club wants one of my players and it speaks about him I would not be happy.


'So Paul Pogba is a Juve player and what we are trying to do we are trying to do in an honest, correct, institutional way.


'The only thing I can say to you is we did 75 per cent of our market. We established four important target profiles – not faces but profiles – and we got three of them at the very early stage of the market.


'Now we have 25 per cent of our market to conclude until August 31, and that player is not the only one. It’s a profile we have, we have options for that profile, and we’re going to get a fourth player. But maybe it’s not the one you think.'