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MANCHESTER. – Paul Pogba’s recent comments in which he hinted he was unsettled at Manchester United have left manager Jose Mourinho “bemused”.

The United boss regularly clashed with the midfielder last season after the Frenchman failed to find his best form, but he was handed the captaincy and responded with what Mourinho called a “monster performance” in their 2-1 opening day success over Leicester City.

However, the player has since admitted that while he “will always give my best to the fans and my team-mates no matter what’s going on”, he added: “There are things, and there are things that I cannot say, otherwise I will get fined.”

Now the Daily Telegraph claim the words from Pogba caught Mourinho by surprise and frustrated his manager after he handed him he captain’s armband.

The report suggests Pogba’s words “came out of the blue” for Mourinho and while the manager knows “he can be provocative at times” in his never-ending quest “to get a response”, they say he “always expects his players to come to him to discuss matters face to face instead of in the public domain”.

Furthermore, it’s claimed Mourinho feels his recent comments to Pogba have been “constructive and fair” and that “the pair get on well together”.

That is indeed something Mourinho alluded to after Friday’s win when he stated: “When you repeat 1 000 times that my relationship with my players is not good, it’s a lie – and repeated 1 000 times it is still a lie.

“I like my players and my group. I enjoyed last season, the fight to finish where we finished and to manage the best position this club has had in five years. I’m going to enjoy this season.”

The report in the Telegraph concludes by saying Mourinho blames Raiola for creating problems between the player and the club, with Barcelona refusing to rule out a swoop before the transfer window closes in Spain on August 31. – AFP.

Mourinho is expected to address the issue when he next speaks this week ahead of the game against Brighton and Hove Albion on Sunday, although it is understood that Pogba’s words came out the blue for the United manager.

Meanwhile, Manchester United are increasingly optimistic about agreeing new terms with David De Gea after the club were further prompted by the growing cost of the world’s top goalkeepers.

The 27-year-old’s future has been repeatedly questioned since he came close to joining Real Madrid three years ago and United are once again desperate to retain the services of the Spain international.

Thibaut Courtois’ €35 million move from Chelsea to the Bernabeu last week has taken his most obvious destination out of the equation, boosting United’s hopes of agreeing a new contract with De Gea.

Reports in Tuesday’s papers claim United have offered De Gea terms on a new deal to the summer of 2023, which will see his pay elevated to closer towards the club’s top earners.

The Spaniard’s current deal expires next summer with a further year existing as an option to be triggered by the club, but the club are keen to extend it for even longer given the current market value for the game’s elite goalkeepers.

The market for keepers has spiralled considerably in the past year, with Jordan Pickford costing Everton £30 million last summer when he was both uncapped by England and recently relegated, and the world record broken twice in the past month.

First Alisson Becker moved from Roma to Liverpool for around £66 million, then Chelsea trumped that by replacing Courtois with Athletic Bilbao’s Kepa Arrizabalaga for £71.6 million.

That makes the £18.9 million De Gea cost in 2011 look paltry by comparison but United’s interest has long been in locking down a long-term stay rather than cashing in on one of their prized assets.