Manchester United confirm Paul Pogba's leaving at end of June

LONDON, June 1 (Xinhua) -- Manchester United has confirmed that Paul Pogba will leave the club on a free transfer when his contract expires at the end of June.

"The club can announce that Paul Pogba will leave Manchester United at the end of June, upon the expiry of his contract," explained United in a statement.

"Everyone at the club would like to congratulate Paul on his successful career, and thank him for his contributions to Manchester United."

"We wish him all the best for the next steps on a remarkable journey," read the statement.

Pogba returned to the club where he starred as a youngster before opting to move to Juventus, for what was a world record fee of 89 million pounds (111 million US dollars) in the summer of 2016, scoring 39 goals in 226 first team appearances.

However, the return of the 2018 World Cup winner wasn't a success and he was at times criticized for a lack of defensive discipline. He also had a difficult relationship with Jose Mourinho during the Portuguese coach's spell at Old Trafford, with Mourinho stripping him of the captaincy.

Although the appointment of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as Manchester United coach saw Pogba given more first team action, the fact he made just 62 Premier League appearances in the last three seasons highlights how this star had fallen.

Paris Saint-Germain, Real Madrid and a return to Juventus (for who he played between 2012 and 2016) have all been mooted as possible destinations.