Paul Pogba was today stopped in his tracks by Jose Mourinho as the pair had a frosty exchange at Manchester United training.
The fascinating footage emerged as the latest evidence that their troubled relationship is at breaking point, further cementing the fears of many United supporters.
A bubbly Pogba was filmed running out to training this morning, where he high-fives coach Michael Carrick before an awkward handshake with Mourinho.
Paul Pogba headed out to begin training on Wednesday by shaking the hands of coaching staff
The midfielder shared a warm embrace with Michael Carrick, but Jose Mourinho came next
Pogba did shake hands with boss Mourinho but the atmosphere quickly turned sour
An exchange of words stopped the midfielder dead in his tracks as he passed Mourinho
A puzzled look was instantly written across the face of Pogba as Mourinho began to turn away
Mourinho was seen making a comment to Pogba, who appeared to scowl in disbelief as he listened to his manager, before a puzzled look quickly spread on his face.
The pair were then seen exchanging words in a heated conversation, at which point Mourinho called over club press officer John Allen.
Allen was then speaking with both men before Pogba marched off nodding his head, and was then seen shrugging his shoulders at his team-mates.
This comes after Tuesday night’s defeat by Derby in the Carabao Cup, when Pogba was dropped from the squad after his criticism of the manager’s tactics.
The tensions between the two huge characters has been rising in recent weeks, with Pogba recently commenting upon the playing style of the team under Mourinho and a need to attack more at Old Trafford.
‘When we are at home we should attack, attack, attack,’ Pogba had said after the draw with Wolves.
‘That’s Old Trafford. We are here to attack. I think teams are scared when they see Man United attacking and attacking. That was our mistake today.’
Mourinho even called over press officer John Allen, seen central, to enter the discussion
Allen appeared to have been brought over by the boss to play a role in the Pogba chat
Pogba exchanged more words with his manager and Allen before turning to walk away
Pogba then turned his mind back to the task in hand and got involved in the training session
He has expressed a desire to leave United and agreed terms with Barcelona in the summer
The 25-year-old looked far from content during the session following its frosty beginning
Mourinho then went about keeping a watchful eye over training as United prepare for Saturday
Pogba was later pictured leaving the training ground following a very eventful morning
Asked what was stopping United from attacking, Pogba replied: ‘I can’t tell you because I’m a player. It’s not me.’
Pogba was also stripped of his role as vice-captain amid the ongoing situation, and told he will never wear the armband again.
Pogba led United three times this season but Mourinho came to a decision that it was no longer acceptable for a player pushing for a move to wear the armband, it is understood.
The squad were told of the decision at their Carrington training base hours before the Carabao Cup defeat.
‘The only truth is that I made the decision for Paul not to be the second captain any more,’ said Mourinho.
‘It was the same person who decided Paul was the second captain. No fallout at all, just decisions I do not have to explain.’
Ashley Young took over duties of the armband against Derby, while Pogba watched on from the stands with youngster Andreas Pereira.
As recently revealed by Sportsmail, the relationship between Mourinho and Pogba plummeted to new depths following the star’s insistence to exit United and head to Barcelona.
Pogba sat alongside Andreas Pereira in the stands as United lost to Derby on Tuesday night
The midfielder was not selected and was recently told he would never captain United again
The conduct of Pogba on the way to the recent fixture against Wolves also angered club staff, who felt his loud music on the team bus was deemed to be inappropriate before a big game.
Staff members were unhappy with how the star acted, when they felt there should have been a quieter focus on the match. Pogba has also raised eyebrows by reporting for duty at the team’s Lowry Hotel base in a chauffeur-driven Rolls-Royce this season.
Speculation over the future of the player continues to grow, with Pogba said to have not backed down on his hopes to pursue a move.
Pogba had already informed Old Trafford executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward of his wish to go after his agent Mino Raiola struck a deal with Barcelona over personal terms in the summer.