Manchester United want Paul Pogba deal tied up for world-record £105m fee before naming squad numbers but Wayne Rooney has his favourite No10 shirt
MANCHESTER UNITED have delayed announcing their squad numbers – until they have completed the £105m signing of Paul Pogba.
Jose Mourinho is close to snapping up the Juventus star for the world record fee on a £202,000-a-week, five-year deal.
United are now holding back releasing any more promotional material until the entire squad returns from their pre-season tour of China later this month.
Old Trafford chiefs want to make sure the Pogba deal is sealed before announcing the numbers for the coming season for replica shirt sales.
A United source said: "It would be very expensive for the club to release the squad numbers only for them to change.
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"The club want to make sure all players are signed and sealed ahead of the coming season before they are announced to the world."
Striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic thought he was getting the number eight shirt when he signed – currently worn by midfielder Juan Mata.
This has put the 28-year-old Spanish international's future in further doubt, with a number of Premier League clubs poised to swoop.
Pogba, 23, is expected to sign for United when he returns from his US holiday.
The midfielder was thought to have been thrashing out the details of the move with his agent Mino Raiola over the weekend.
Raiola has spent the last few days in talks with United chiefs over the France international's personal terms.
He could sign a contract as early as Tuesday morning.
Mourinho has already spent £60m on defender Eric Bailly, Ibrahimovic and Henrikh Mkhitaryan this summer.
Pogba came through Manchester United's academy in 2011 but made just three appearances for the club.
He moved to Juventus in 2012 where he has played 124 times and scored 28 goals.
The ex-Le Havre trainee's move to United could be for the highest transfer fee of all time, eclipsing Gareth Bale's £85m move to Real Madrid in 2013.