Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba has reportedly told manager Jose Mourinho that he wants to leave the club and join Barcelona.
Pogba is understood to have endured a tumultuous relationship with Mourinho throughout last season and so far this term, with the latest fallout seeing the France international stripped of the vice-captaincy in front of his teammates this afternoon.
The Daily Mail reports that Pogba's desire to force through a move away from Old Trafford was the reason behind Mourinho's decision to remove him as second captain.
Pogba has worn the armband on three occasions already this season, but Mourinho and his coaching staff are understood to have become increasingly concerned about the 25-year-old's behaviour.
The World Cup winner has courted controversy with a string of post-match interviews this season, most recently claiming that the team should play more attacking football in the wake of Saturday's 1-1 draw with Wolverhampton Wanderers.
United's staff were understood to be unhappy with Pogba playing his music too loud on the team bus ahead of that match, while they also reportedly disapprove of the midfielder arriving at the team's Lowry Hotel base in a chauffeur-driven Rolls-Royce.
The likes of Paris Saint-Germain and former club Juventus have been linked with a move for Pogba, but the player himself is understood to favour a move to Spanish champions Barcelona.
However, the price tag could prove to be a stumbling block in any deal, with United reportedly demanding a world-record bid of more than £200m.
Barney Corkhill
