JOSE MOURINHO USED Paul Pogba’s unveiling as a Manchester United player to once again take a swipe at his Premier League rivals. He joined Juventus, which reportedly had to pay 800,000 pounds (now around $1 million).
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Pogba’s fee eclipses the £85m Real Madrid paid Tottenham for Wales forward Gareth Bale in 2013. In his first interview after being back at Old Trafford, Pogba said that Manchester United is the right club for him to achieve everything in the game.
The United boss told MUTV: “I know the discussion, I understand that, sometimes in football, things happen and the club breaks the record, but this is only possible at clubs like Man United”.
“The signing of Pogba by @ManUtd is a watershed moment for @premierleague“.
Manchester United confirmed the signature of the French midfielder from Juventus last night for a world record fee of £89m.
Manchester United signed Pogba for the first time in 2009, when he was a highly-touted youth prospect coming out of Le Havre.
A 19 year-old Pogba signed for Italian side Juventus, where he quickly blossomed into one of the most exhilarating talents in world soccer. The same agent, Mino Raiola, represents Ibrahimovic, Mkhitaryan and Pogba.
There was a stinging Twitter reaction from Juventus fans to the news, while others jokingly compared the Frenchman to past and present Premier League midfielders.
He added: “Everything about this four-time Serie A victor suggests he will have no trouble settling into English football: he’s powerful, athletic and I like his off-the-cuff tricks and dribbles”.
Since leaving United in 2012, Pogba has helped Juve win four Serie A titles and the Coppa Italia twice, and reach the 2014-15 Champions League final. You don’t see many central midfielders doing that. In a statement City described Stones as “one of the world’s most promising centre-backs”, with a reputation as a “ball-playing, 21st-century defender” who is best at “neutralising opposition attacks” and “launching the first key pass out of the defensive third”. “He has the chance to be at the heart of this club for the next decade and beyond”.
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Even though Pogba’s transfer fee is recognized as a world record, the pound’s slide since the Brexit referendum throws a spanner in the works.
