Manchester United and Paul Pogba are prepared to part ways - and as soon as possible.

That's according to The Sun, which reports his team-mates are convinced there is no way back for the Frenchman, who fears the club remain two or three years behind Manchester City and Liverpool.

United boss Ole Gunner Solskjaer claimed the midfielder would be in his squad for the New Year's Day trip to Arsenal.

But he was absent and Solskjaer revealed he now needs an ankle op that would keep him out for the whole of January.

Real Madrid remain his most likely destination, though that could depend on the future of Toni Kroos — with the German potentially moving the other way.

Kroos came close to joining from Bayern Munich in the summer of 2014 but ended up at the Spanish giants.

If no such deal is agreed, Real will want Kroos, 29, to move somewhere else to make space for Pogba. United slapped a £180m price-tag on Pogba in the summer to scare of potential buyers.

But things have changed since then and he could now leave for £100m.