Manchester United Reportedly Under 'Commercial Pressure' to Keep Paul Pogba

Manchester United officials reportedly have reservations about selling Paul Pogba due to the player's commercial value.

According to Sami Mokbel of MailOnline, the Red Devils have looked at replacements for the Frenchman amid persistent links to Barcelona, but his status as one of the most marketable players in the world has put the club under "commercial pressure," resulting in a "growing reluctance" to sell.

Gareth Bale is viewed as one of the few players with similar marketing value, but the door to such a move appears to have closed.

Pogba has been linked with several clubs since the start of the season and Tuttosport (h/t Sport Witness' Lucas Sposito) reported on Thursday he's eager to return to Juventus. According to the Italians the move will come down to Pogba's desire.

The 25-year-old is frequently used in United's commercial campaigns, featuring heavily on social media and in matchday programmes. Mokbel called the Frenchman the club's "poster boy" and noted losing him would present a serious loss on both a sporting and a financial level.

David Maddock of the Daily Mirror reported the Red Devils will ask for more than £200 million for the midfielder amid interest from the Catalans, former club Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain. Maddock also touched on the difficult relationship between Pogba and manager Jose Mourinho as a reason why some believe he won't last at Old Trafford much longer.

Mourinho told Pogba he will never captain the club again earlier this season, while the player publicly questioned the team's tactics after a 1-1 draw against Wolverhampton Wanderers.

The France international has been in solid form since returning from the international break, but he was unable to guide the team to a win against Chelsea or Juventus.

Like Pogba, Bale is an Adidas athlete, and that made him an appealing addition to the United family, according to Mokbel.

Los Blancos have leaned on the Welshman since Cristiano Ronaldo's move to Italy, however, and he continues to express his love for the club at every turn:

The former Spurs man would carry a massive price tag and has struggled with injuries throughout his career—he has already missed time in the 2018-19 campaign. 

Real are unlikely to sanction a sale as long as their issues in front of goal continue, so United may have to look elsewhere to find a potential Pogba replacement with similar commercial value.

A January departure for Pogba seems unlikely at this point despite the rocky relationship between him and Mourinho.