Could Paul Pogba ditch Manchester United to join Zinedine Zidane at Real Madrid? (Image: GETTY)
Paul Pogba nearly joined Real Madrid from Juventus in the summer of 2016 before Manchester United swooped in on the Frenchman.
United paid an eye-watering £89m for the midfielder to bring him back to the club where he cut his teeth as a teenager.
Yet Real have persistently been interested in Pogba and there were suggestions he could have left Old Trafford last summer when his relationship with Jose Mourinho broke down.
Now seemingly happy at United under new manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, speculation of Pogba angling for a move away from United has died down.
But the 26-year-old has fanned the flames of a possible future move to Real in his glowing assessment of returned Los Blancos manager Zidane.
"Like I've always said, Real Madrid is a dream for anyone," he told reporters.
"It's one of the biggest clubs in the world.
“There is also Zidane as a coach and it's a dream for anybody who likes football.”
Paul Pogba won the World Cup with France last summer (Image: GETTY)
Paul Pogba proved his worth at Russia 2018 (Image: GETTY)
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Pogba then went on to insist he is happy at Manchester United - for the time being at least.
“For now, I'm at Manchester,” he said.
“We don't know what the future holds.
“I’m at Manchester and I'm happy."
Paul Pogba has hit top form at Manchester United in the past few months (Image: GETTY)
Could Paul Pogba quit Manchester United? (Image: GETTY)
United are extremely unlikely to be open to selling Pogba this summer, with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer currently getting the best out of the midfielder.
But the Red Devils will be aware that his contract is set to expire in the summer of 2021.
That means the club could be faced with the prospect of losing Paul Pogba on a free transfer - or selling him for a reduced price - if no new agreement can be struck over the next 18 months.
Pogba is represented by super agent Mino Raiola, who was at the heart of his controversial exit from Juventus to United, with Real having thought they were getting their man.
Pogba snubs Mbappe as France arrive at Euro 2020 qualifiers
Paul Pogba's agent Mino Raiola could well engineer a transfer (Image: GETTY)
Raiola has a good relationship with United, with his clients Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Romelu Lukaku and Henrik Mkhitaryan all coming through the doors of Old Trafford in recent years.
But he does not have a great relationship with Real, having irked the club in the past over their interested in Gianluigi Donnarumma and Marco Verratti.
Solskjaer appears to have got the best out of Pogba since the Norwegian replaced Mourinho in December.
The midfielder has scored nine goals for the new boss, helping United challenge for a top-four spot in the Premier League.