Paul Pogba 'turns down Manchester City approaches'

Paul Pogba has reportedly rejected interest from Manchester City, with the Frenchman not interested in joining the Citizens on a free transfer this summer.

The midfielder's contract at Manchester United is due to expire at the end of June, and he is preparing to leave the 20-time English champions in search of pastures new.

A recent report claimed that Man City were showing an interest in the World Cup winner, with the club's head coach Pep Guardiola keen to bring him to Etihad Stadium.

However, according to Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano, Pogba has rejected approaches from the Premier League champions, as he is not interested in a switch to Etihad Stadium.

Juventus are believed to be at the head of the queue for Pogba, with the Old Lady meeting with the Frenchman's agents on Monday to discuss a return to Turin.

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Romano claims that Man City are not in the race for the 29-year-old, but Paris Saint-Germain are still showing an interest in the midfielder, with his Man United deal entering its latter stages.

Pogba has scored once and provided nine assists in 27 appearances for the Red Devils this season, but he has been on the sidelines since the middle of April due to a calf problem.

The midfielder is unlikely to be available for Sunday's clash with Crystal Palace, so his final match for the 20-time English champions could have been the 4-0 loss at Liverpool.

Pogba made just seven appearances for Man United in his first spell at the club, which ended with him moving to Juventus on a free transfer, but he has played 226 times for the Red Devils since his return.

The Frenchman has found it difficult to show his best form for at club level over the last six years, though, and he has consistently been linked with a move away from Old Trafford.

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Pogba left Man United on a free transfer in 2012 to join the Old Lady, where he won four Serie A titles and two Coppa Italia crowns during a successful spell, scoring 34 goals and registering 40 assists in 178 appearances before completing a big-money return to Old Trafford.

The Frenchman, who is believed to want a four-year deal in Turin worth £9.3m a season, missed a lot of football in the first half of the season due to a hamstring problem that he picked up on international duty, while his last outing was against Liverpool at Anfield on April 19.

Man City are planning to move for a new central midfielder this summer, as Fernandinho prepares to depart, and there have been claims that the Citizens could attempt to beat Man United to the signature of Barcelona's Frenkie de Jong.

Pogba's exit will see the Red Devils enter the market for at least one midfielder, meanwhile, and Chelsea's N'Golo Kante has allegedly been identified as a key target by incoming head coach Erik ten Hag.