Mkhitaryan near as ‘Man Utd make take-it-or-leave-it Pogba bid’

Paul Pogba: Top United target

Paul Pogba: Top United target

Manchester United are formally set to make Juventus an £80million offer for Paul Pogba, as the club close in on a deal to bring Henrikh Mkhitaryan to Old Trafford.

With Jose Mourinho taking Manchester United training for the first time on Tuesday, the club are confident of making his third signing of the summer this week.

United, who have already signed striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Eric Bailly, will add Mkhitaryan by the end of the week after Dortmund confirmed over the weekend that they’d reluctantly agreed to his sale for a fee believed to be £26.3million.

Henrikh Mkhitaryan: Man Utd transfer finalised

United have moved quickly to bolster their squad this summer after Mourinho identified the players he needed to improve the squad he inherited from Louis van Gaal – and with three of those targets as good as in the bag, it is reported a deal for Pogba could be next.

The France midfielder left Manchester United on a free transfer back in 2012, but after four trophy-laden years in Turin, it is thought the Italians are ready to sell him to the highest bidder this summer.

The player’s father admitted over the weekend that his son is “ready to try his luck” in a better league, but would actually favour a move to La Liga, with both Real Madrid and Barcelona reportedly interested.

However, reports claim United are hoping to steal a march on their rivals by officially submitting a club record £80million offer for the player. Should the offer be rejected, United are ready to move on and go for other targets, with the likes of Andre Gomes and Ruben Neves also in their sights.

Mourinho will assess all of United’s players not involved in the Euros or Copa America action when they return for pre-season training on Tuesday.

But he is planning to trim his existing squad, with midfielder Juan Mata heavily linked with a move to Everton on Monday.

Mourinho, accompanied by goalkeeping coach Silvino Louro, was pictured on Monday leaving the Lowry Hotel in Salford and stepping into a Mercedes people carrier. A vehicle with the same registration was filmed arriving at the AON Training Complex around 30 minutes later.

Mourinho, a two-time Champions League winner, also has his own reputation to restore after last season’s dramatic slump in fortunes at Chelsea.

The Londoners began the last campaign as champions but he was sacked in December with his side just one point above the relegation zone.

Mourinho is set to be formally unveiled at a press conference on Tuesday before pre-season training begins the following day. They face Dortmund and rivals Manchester City during their pre-season tour of China later this month.