Manchester United transfer news: Paul Pogba and Blaise Matuidi on radar as Jose Mourinho's fourth signing

A round-up of the latest transfer news and rumours surrounding Old Trafford

Paul Pogba and Blaise Matuidi are reported to be on the Manchester United radar (Getty)

Jose Mourinho has revealed that Manchester United will remain active in the transfer window after they complete the signing of Henrikh Mkhitaryan from Borussia Dortmund, with the new manager eager to bring in one more pivotal signing before taking a breather to assess his options.

After securing the additions of defender Eric Bailly and striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic from Villarreal and Paris Saint-Germain respectively, Mourinho made it abundantly clear during a press conference on Tuesday that he expects the signing of Mkhitaryan to be a formality.

Should that deal go through as expected, Mourinho wants to make one more signing that he labelled a “specialist” addition. “We decided four targets. From these four, we have three and until we don’t have the fourth, we are still working hard, myself, the structure, Ed Woodward, the owners, we are working hard,” he said.

“When we have the fourth. I breathe and then the market will be open. We are not going to get the fourth on the 31st of August, we will get the fourth before then.”

One of those targets is reported to be the former United midfielder Paul Pogba, with The Guardian reporting that his agent, Mino Raiola, has held face-to-face talks with United’s executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward about a summer transfer that could potentially break the existing record set by Gareth Bale’s £86m move to Real Madrid.

It’s claimed that these talks took place during the discussions that brought Ibrahimovic and Mkhitaryan to United – the second of which is all but done – given that the three players all share the same agent in Raiola. The outspoken Dutchman famously fell out with former United manager Sir Alex Ferguson when Pogba departed the club in 2012, but his relationship with the club has evidently been patched up and Pogba could yet prove to be the final piece in Mourinho’s United jig-saw.

According to Goal, United are also interested in PSG midfielder Blaise Matuidi. It’s claimed that Matuidi was given time off from France’s Euro 2016 campaign to hold talks with the Premier League club, although any move would have to wait until after France’s commitments at their home tournament come to an end.

Matuidi is expected to start France’s semi-final clash against Germany on Thursday, but the deciding factor in his future could again be the role of his agent – none other than Mino Raiola.

Another addition could see Mourinho try and boost his homegrown contingent after The Sun linked the Portuguese with a move for Derby midfielder Will Hughes. The 21-year-old has been tipped for a move to the Premier League after Derby missed out on promotion from the Championship last season, and United are believed to be monitoring his future.

One player who looks to be heading for the exit already though is the unfortunate Juan Mata, having experienced the same fate under Mourinho during the manager’s second spell at Chelsea. It was Mourinho who decided to sell Mata to United in a £37.1m deal, and his arrival has already triggered suggestions that the Spain international – who missed out on inclusion in Vicente del Bosque’s Euro 2016 squad – could move on.

Mourinho has already completed two signings, including that of Ibrahimovic (Getty)

The Telegraph claims that the new Everton manager , Ronald Koeman, hopes to land his first major coup in luring Mata to Goodison Park, though a return to Spain would also be an option for the 28-year-old. Mata, who joined United in 2014 during David Moyes’s ill-fated reign, has already seen his No 8 shirt handed to new signing Ibrahimovic.