If only Paul Pogba’s needs were pandered to by Manchester United. But alas, it’s Jose Mourinho who wears the proverbial trousers at Old Trafford and the Red Devils manager wants Pogba gone.

The Mirror says United are targeting Shakhtar Donetsk’s Fred as a “replacement” for Pogba, which is funny because the Brazilian is a meat-and-potatoes holding midfielder – clearly what Mourinho has wanted all along instead of dynamic, multi-faceted Gallic artiste.

United will have to “gazump” Manchester City if they want Fred, which they are apparently quite happy to do.

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Pogba, meanwhile, has been “offered” to PSG by his agent Mino Raiola, according to the Mail. The Frenchman’s rift with Mourinho has left him “considering his options”, with Man City, Chelsea and Juventus among his possible destinations.

Following him out the Old Trafford exit door could be Anthony Martial, who the Mail says is being lined up for a £60m move to Barcelona, with the Catalan giants also allegedly keen on Fulham’s left-sided sensation Ryan Sessegnon.

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Ronaldo to block Neymar transfer

With Cristiano Ronaldo, it can be tricky to separate fact from fiction. Is he so jealous of Lionel Messi that he constantly asks for pay rises to earn more than the Argentine? Is he obsessed with personal grooming? Does he think Gareth Bale is a plum? Has he kissed men romantically?

And here’s a new one: has he vetoed Real Madrid signing Neymar because he fears the Brazilian’s star status?

That’s the claim made in today’s Express, which says CR7 is “opposed” to Zinedine Zidane’s pursuit of the Paris Saint-Germain forward because he wishes to remain “the undisputed leading figure” at the Bernabeu.

Ronaldo is also allegedly concerned that Neymar, if signed, could end up with a salary higher than his, which would be unacceptable. It’s draining enough for Cristiano trying to keep up with Messi’s earnings without him having to compete with Neymar too.

Instead, Ronaldo is encouraging the Real hierarchy to sign Neymar’s PSG team-mate Kylian Mbappe, who he believes would be a “better fit” for the club and also wouldn’t keep trying to push to the front of team photos.

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They’re apparently going to do it too. The Express says that Real president Florentino Perez is willing to sign Mbappe instead of Neymar “to keep Ronaldo happy”. Job done.

Elsewhere, Chelsea will demand a liberty-taking £50m from Borussia Dortmund for Michy Batshuayi, who has impressed on loan in the Bundesliga (Standard), Arsenal have sent scouts to check out Benfica’s 21-year-old Serbia winger Andrija Zivkovic (Sun).

And Norwich City’s £25m-rated midfielder James Maddison will be at the centre of a summer “tug of war” between six Premier League clubs – Tottenham, Arsenal, Everton, Man City, Southampton and Brighton (Telegraph). Good luck Southampton.

@darlingkevin