Paul Pogba has arrived in Manchester ahead of his proposed medical which is due to take place today. The 23-year-old has been linked with a move back to Manchester United all summer, but it now seems the Frenchman’s deal will finally be wrapped up in the coming days.
Jose Mourinho earlier confirmed the deal for Pogba after United’s 2-1 Community Shield victory over Leicester City, and defended the reported £89m fee for the central midfielder.
Mourinho said the club should be proud they could attract players like Pogba and took a sly dig at Real Madrid in the process, a club United beat to the signature of Pogba.
“I don’t think Real Madrid were upset when they broke the record with Gareth Bale. I don’t think it is a reason to be sad,” he said.
“It is a reason to be proud with the dimension of the club that can do that and can attract players of this dimension.
“If you ask me if I think it is a lot of money, I think football is crazy, the market has become crazy.”
“What you think this season is crazy you realise three years later is not crazy anymore. I think there are players who cost £10m who are super expensive because they are players £400,000 or £500,000 or £1m so what is expensive and not expensive in football? I don’t know anymore.”
“I just know he is a big player that is going, for sure, to be important for a big club like Man United.”
Mourinho also praised match winner Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who he claims will be dominant if he is given the service.
“Zlatan will be more dangerous when we are more dominant and play closest to the box,” he said.
“Zlatan is not a very fast player to play 50 metres away from the box like where Vardy can be dangerous. Zlatan needs the team to play, he needs the team to produce and he needs the team to be arriving in the final third. It’s something that we also have to change because the profile of this team was more about possession of the ball. Even arriving in crossing positions, the team normally plays back again and tries to change to the other side.”
“We are trying to change. The reality is the second goal is a great example of that.”
[Quotes via Sky Sports]