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Cape Town - Manchester United are planning to enter contract talks with midfielder Paul Pogba after tying goalkeeper David de Gea to a new deal this week.
The Red Devils were buoyed after De Gea finally put pen-to-paper on Monday on a deal that will keep the Spaniard at Old Trafford until at least 2023.
And now the Manchester giants will focus their attention towards Pogba, who has been left firmly in the financial shade by De Gea's new £350,000-per-week agreement.
However, unlike the accomplished shot-stopper, who had entered the final year of his contract, Pogba still has two years remaining and United retain the option of a further 12 months.
United insiders, though, state the club's paymasters will not allow the World Cup winner to use the same delay tactics as De Gea, having seen his team-mate successfully stall for 18 months before pledging his future.
Pogba's agent, Mino Raiola, is well aware Real Madrid are willing to pay his man significantly more than his present £250,000-per-week salary.
United proved with the £505,000-per-week package they handed to flop striker Alexis Sanchez that they can dig deeper than most.
The Manchester giants maintain Pogba's future is at the Theatre of Dreams and placed a prohibitive £160m valuation on his head earlier this summer, scaring away the charm offensive from the Bernabeu and his former club Juventus.
Pogba has kept his own counsel since and seems to have settled down in recent weeks, responding to boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's continual and public backing to lead United from the very front.
The £89m Frenchman certainly knows his commercial worth to his club, so it will be interesting to view how things play out when both sides do eventually sit down to discuss numbers.
At present, the former Juventus ace is injured and having missed the 1-0 win over Leicester City, United are set to rest him against Astana in the Europa League, but he will be hoping to return against West Ham on Sunday.
