Manchester United trigger Paul Pogba contract extension

Manchester United have triggered the extension clause in Paul Pogba’s contract, keeping the midfielder at the club until 2022.

The 27-year-old returned to Old Trafford from Juventus in a then world-record deal in 2016 and has been subject of regular speculation ever since.

Pogba’s Old Trafford contract was due to expire next summer but the PA news agency understands that United, as widely expected, have exercised their option to extend the deal by a further year.

The deal is believed to have been triggered before the World Cup winner fuelled talk about his future during the international break when he spoke up the idea of playing for Real Madrid one day.

Asked about those comments in Friday’s press conference previewing the trip to Newcastle, United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said: “Paul’s our player, he’s going to be here for another two years and I’m sure Paul is focused on doing his best for us and we want to see the best of Paul.

“So, in the next couple of years I’m sure we’ll get the best out of him.”