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Woodward (centre) was appointed Manchester United executive vice-chairman in 2013

Manchester United executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward has not gone on the club's tour of China amid reports of a world-record bid for Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba.

Managing director Richard Arnold was the senior executive on the trip, which includes games against Borussia Dortmund and Manchester City.

It has been reported United will make a bid in excess of £105m for Pogba.

The Frenchman left the club for free in 2012, joining Juventus.

It is anticipated Woodward will join the tour at some point, and it is not known whether his absence is connected to the reported approach for Pogba.

United are interested in the France international, whose agent Mino Raiola - who also acts for summer signings Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Henrikh Mkhitaryan - is in Italy.

Ibrahimovic, who moved to Old Trafford after his contract expired at French side Paris St-Germain, was not selected by manager Jose Mourinho for the tour.

Mourinho did not select any player whose team went beyond the last 16 of Euro 2016, but Ibrahimovic's Sweden were knocked out of the group stage.

United's tour begins on Friday when they play Borussia Dortmund in Shanghai before meeting Pep Guardiola's Manchester City in a hugely anticipated game in Beijing's Bird's Nest Stadium on Monday.