Paul Pogba arrives at airport with bags packed as Man Utd fly out to Australia for pre-season tour
PAUL POGBA has arrived at the airport with his bags packed…but thankfully for Manchester United, he’s not flying out to Spain or Italy.
The 26-year-old joined his Red Devils teammates as they jetted out to Australia for their pre-season tour – after returning from his summer holidays this morning.
The World Cup winner has made it clear he wants to quit Old Trafford but was under orders from the club to travel for their money-spinning exhibition matches.
His agent Mino Raiola is working so hard to get him out that United chiefs were fearful their £89million star would refuse to rejoin the squad.
But the Frenchman was seen arriving at the club’s Carrington training HQ in the back of a Mercedes van with tinted windows.
And now Pogba has been pictured wearing his United suit at the airport as he joined wantaway team-mate Romelu Lukaku at the airport.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer had given the pair extra time off after international duty and both were confirmed in the Red Devils’ traveling squad today.
Pogba was not required to report back last week with the rest of the Norwegian’s side – and was instead seen working out at a New York gym, meaning his flight to Australia has seen him cross 12 time zones and fly 12,500 miles in four days.
MAN UTD SQUAD FOR AUSTRALIA (in full):
GOALKEEPERS: David De Gea, Joel Pereira, Sergio Romero
DEFENDERS: Eric Bailly, Diogo Dalot, Phil Jones, Victor Lindelof, Marcos Rojo, Luke Shaw, Chris Smalling, Axel Tuanzebe, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Ashley Young
MIDFIELDERS: Tahith Chong, James Garner, Angel Gomes, Daniel James, Jesse Lingard, Juan Mata Nemanja Matic, Scott McTominay, Andreas Pereira, Paul Pogba
FORWARDS: Mason Greenwood, Romelu Lukaku, Anthony Martial, Marcus Rashford
Raiola chucked a huge spanner in the works on Friday by publicly admitting that the midfielder wants out — with suspicions that the statement was timed to fuel doubts over whether Pog would go to Oz for games against Perth Glory and Leeds.
United also play in Singapore and China — where the ex-Juventus star is a huge, household name – and has already enjoyed a promotional tour with Adidas this summer.
Pogba admitted last month that it “could be a good time to have a new challenge” as talk of a transfer to Real Madrid or Juventus ramps up.
For now, United are sticking to their guns over his £290,000-a-week deal still having two years left — plus a 12-month club option.
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Lukaku, who also pictured at the airport ahead of the flight to Australia, has continued to be linked with a switch to Italy to play in Serie A.
The Belgian striker held talks last week with Solskjaer and was told he is no longer first-choice at Old Trafford.
But with the proposed £75m move to Antonio Conte’s Inter falling through, the 26-year-old has now been offered to Serie A rivals Juventus and Napoli.