Manchester United star Paul Pogba is demanding to be paid more than Cristiano Ronaldo in order to extend his contract, according to reports.

Frenchman Pogba has been unsure as to whether to sign a new deal at Old Trafford, with his current one ending next summer. Now, reports suggest that he might ask to become the club’s highest earner in order to stay.

The United academy product left without having played a league game for the club to go to Juventus but returned in 2016 as the most expensive footballer on Earth, costing £89m. Since then, the midfielder has blown hot and cold for the Red Devils, putting in excellent performances alongside some questionable ones.

This season is a case in point: the 28-year-old racked up seven assists in the early weeks of the season but lost his place in the team not long after. His last appearance in the Premier League saw him sent off in the 5-0 mauling at home to Liverpool for a reckless challenge.

Pogba is no longer the most marketable player at the club anymore, either. The no.6 is one of Adidas’s biggest clients but has been usurped on the popularity front by Cristiano Ronaldo, who also joined from Juventus, when he returned to the club this summer.

Now, it is claimed that Pogba would like to be paid as much as teammate Ronaldo if he is set to continue in the Premier League.

Pogba has been linked with moves to Paris Saint-Germain, Barcelona, Real Madrid and Juventus in recent weeks and months amidst speculation that he won’t sign a new deal.

Given that the Frenchman has been used more out on the left than in midfield, some have suggested he has become surplus to requirements at Old Trafford. With the likes of Jadon Sancho, Marcus Rashford and Jesse Lingard also battling for his spot in the team, he might want to challenge himself elsewhere next season.

Ronaldo, meanwhile, has settled in with a goal in every Champions League game so far. Though some critics have questioned whether he has the off-ball workrate for manager Ole Gunnar Solksjaer to accommodate both in his side, it has become clear in recent weeks that the Norwegian would favour the Portuguese over Pogba.

Manchester United take on Watford next in the league.