The world record for a transfer fee was shredded on Tuesday when French superstar Paul Pogba completed a sensational return to Manchester United from Juventus for 105 million euros.
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Pogba had signed for United on a three-year deal with a one-year renewal option which then United manager Alex Ferguson was keen to activate but the 18-year-old was frustrated by a lack of first-team opportunities at the club and made a decision to leave.
“First my mum told me I would come back here and I told her, “You never know, we’ll see”.
“I just came back to Carrington”. We talked. It did make me think. They are not getting him in his peak or in his best years, but in the last two or three years the club has deteriorated in performance and also in entertainment, which is a fundamental at United. By having these innovators on board with our family of global partners, we’re pledging to our 659 million followers that they can look forward to great content and concepts over the coming seasons.
“Paul is one of the best players in the world and will be a key part of the United team I want to build here for the future”.
Mourinho – who has also signed Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Henrikh Mkhitarayan and Eric Bailly following his appointment as boss in May as he looks to revive United – added that he is “really happy” with his squad.
Gary Neville has insisted Manchester United can win the title this season under Jose Mourinho.
Pogba played only seven games – all as a substitute – in his first spell at United, which ended sourly when he allowed his contract to run down and joined Juventus. “He identified a player and, nine times out of 10, got the player”.
After finishing fourth in Louis van Gaal’s debut season in England, many tipped Man United to launch an assault on the title in the following campaign, only to be disappointed when a turgid style of football led to the Dutchman’s side managing fifth.
He feels it was his “destiny” to return and that he is not focusing on the fact he is the world’s most expensive footballer.
However, fellow midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger appears to have already played his last game for the club.
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“I think at adaptation level, he’s not a new player”, Mourinho said, “he’s just a kid back home again”.
