Manchester United make £80m offer to sign Paul Pogba from Juventus

Manchester United are set to step up negotiations for Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba and are reportedly willing to break the world record transfer fee of £86m ($115m) to secure his services this summer. Jose Mourinho is looking to invest heavily in the squad and has already managed to sign defender Eric Bailly from Villarreal, while Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Zlatan Ibrahimovic's move is likely to be announced soon.

The Daily Telegraph reports that United have opened negotiations with Juventus over a transfer for the highly rated Frenchman and have already offered Juventus £80m to close a deal for the player. Pogba was part of the United squad in 2012, but decided to make a move to Turin after growing frustrated with lack of first team opportunities. Meanwhile, Real Madrid and Manchester City have backed out of the race citing the high transfer fees demanded by Juventus.

The Serie A champions have no intentions of selling the player for a penny less than his valuation, but star agent Mino Raiola, who also manages Mkhitaryan and Ibrahimovic, is believed to be pulling the strings to get another star player to Old Trafford this summer. Mourinho wants to build an attack comprising the likes of Pogba and Rooney in midfield, with Ibrahimovic, Martial and Mkhitaryan taking up the three forward positions. Pogba is currently with the French national team competing in Euro 2016 where they will play Iceland in the quarter-finals.

The report states that United were always the most likely destination for Pogba, but the 23-year-old is reportedly suspect of the move following their lack of participation in the Champions League next season. However, vice-president Ed Woodward is set to hold discussions with Juventus over a possible move for the midfielder next week in a bid to get the deal over the line.

Meanwhile, Ibrahimovic has confirmed that he is on his way to United on social media, ending any speculation over his future. The Swede has crashed out of the European Championships in France and is set to sign a one-year contract, with provisions for an extension.

"Time to let the world know. My next destination is Manchester United," the striker wrote on Instagram.