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Cape Town - Real Madrid are facing a race against time in their pursuit of Paul Pogba, with the Spanish giants reportedly struggling to match Manchester United's valuation of the midfielder.
There has been intense speculation about the 26-year-old's happiness and Pogba recently admitted he was considering "a new challenge somewhere else".
Pogba's agent Mino Raiola claims he is already in the process of trying to move on the France international, who has been linked with Real Madrid and a return to former side Juventus, and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is aware of the player's intention to depart.
However, Solskjaer said last Tuesday that United don't have to sell Pogba or any other wantaway player this summer.
Recent reports have suggested, though, that Real Madrid must sell players before they can make an acceptable bid for Pogba.
And now AS (via Sport Witness) claim it is becoming one of the 'soap operas' of the transfer window with United setting their valuation for Pogba at €170m.
With the Premier League transfer window closing on August 8, Real are conscious that it will prove 'impossible' to sign Pogba after that deadline, despite the Spanish market remaining open.
AS believe that the only way United will sell is if they have a replacement signed before Pogba's departure.
The Spanish newspaper adds that his agent Raiola has been told by Real to 'not to tighten the rope' on a deal, while Sport Witness says the report adds that Pogba has been told by Los Blancos to 'stay silent' as upsetting United could 'complicate their efforts' to sign him.
