Reports: Barcelona and Juventus on high alert as Pogba refuses early holiday return 

What's the story?

Paul Pogba has told Jose Mourinho he won't cut his holiday short to prepare for the start of the Premier League season according to reports from Calcio Mercato.

The World Cup winner has instead flown to Los Angeles to throw a party and use his full holiday allowance. The news has put clubs such as Juventus, Barcelona, and Real Madrid on high alert as they have all been linked with a move for the Manchester United midfielder this summer.

In case you didn't know...

Due to the early Premier League start this year in combination with the World Cup, many players who represented their countries were granted additional holiday leave to recover. However, Jose Mourinho is fearful he will not have a strong team as Manchester United begin the season in less than a week and has requested his star players return to training early.

Players including Romelu Lukaku and Marcus Rashford have agreed to cut their holiday short. However, it seems that Paul Pogba has decided against returning to Carrington early, fueling speculation of a poor relationship between himself and Jose Mourinho and of his seemingly imminent departure from Old Trafford.

The heart of the matter

Juventus and Barcelona have been heavily linked with a move for Pogba this summer, however, neither has made a concrete offer thus far.

Real Madrid have also registered interest in the midfielder during the last couple of days. These reports will provide all three clubs with renewed hope of capturing the French international before the transfer window closes.

However, it is certain that Manchester United would only consider an extraordinary bid for their most expensive signing.

Rumour Probability: 6/10

The Italian press is usually on the ball when it comes to these matters and in particular, Calcio Mercato who exclusively broke numerous transfers throughout this summer. If Pogba has refused to return early it may be the straw that broke the camel's back and encourage Mourinho to let him go.

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What's Next?

As it stands, Pogba will return to training next week as initially agreed. However, he is now highly unlikely to feature in United's opening match against Leicester City and will have incurred the wrath of Jose Mourinho who has no problem dropping star players for extended periods of time.