MANCHESTER UNITED MANAGER Jose Mourinho said his team are the perfect one for Paul Pogba to build his case as the best footballer in the world as the Frenchman closes in on a record transfer from Juventus back to Old Trafford.
The deal is not yet completely done, but United announced Pogba will undergo a medical and official confirmation is imminent on the 23-year-old’s return to Manchester.
Pogba left Old Trafford as a talented teenager but is set to return as one of the world’s best midfielders and Mourinho said a move to United makes sense for the France international as he looks to take the next step in his career.
“United is the perfect club to bring him to the level he wants to be. The Premier League is the perfect habitat for that,” Mourinho said.
“If you want to be the best player in the world, if you go to Barcelona or Real Madrid you are in trouble because I don’t think the other two big guys [Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo] will let you do it.
“Here he has the conditions to develop in the most seen championship worldwide, which is incredible, with a team that wants to bring Man United to the top again.
“We have everything to give him, and we know the reasons he wants to come to us. Money you will get at any big club, that’s not the point. He comes because he knows the club, the city and many of the players.
“He wants to be part of the Man United project. Hopefully everything goes well in the medical, which I think it will.
“I see him running, playing basketball and football [on holiday in America]. He does everything so he must be fit. On Tuesday I will be there waiting for him if that’s the situation.”
The size of the fee, reportedly more than £100million, has raised eyebrows around the world given United lost Pogba for compensation worth less than £1m, but Mourinho said smashing the transfer record to sign talented players should be a source of pride and not embarrassment for United.
“I don’t think Real Madrid were upset when they broke the record for Gareth Bale or Cristiano,” he added.
“When other people break records it’s not a reason to be sad, it’s a reason to be proud of the dimension of the club that can do that.
“I don’t know what is and isn’t expensive in football anymore. I just know that it’s a big player that for sure is going to be important for a big club like Man United.”
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Liverpool are done. Milner, Henderson and Firmino are too old. Mane and Wijnaldum, two of their most consistent players, allowed to leave. Their replacements Thiago and Keith spend more time on the bench than on the pitch. Van Dijk is a good centre halve but his poor form is highlighting the lack of a decent partner for him. As for Salah? He looks like he has one eye on a move out of Anfield. Klopp will need a miracle to turn things around there.
@John Fagan: and the whole squad is burned out as a side affect of klopps high intensity style , same thing happened at dortmund.
@John Fagan: yeah the new guy Keith is really struggling in Manes old position. Good take.
@John Fagan: Didn’t Salah just sign a new contract at Liverpool over the summer? “Too old” Firmino who scored a brace and 3 assists just two weeks ago? Van Dijk’s main CB partner, Matip, is just back from injury. Mane wanted to leave but they signed Diaz who has been pretty prolific so far and Nunez so I’m not sure things are as bleak as you’re saying – and I’m not a Liverpool fan even
@John Fagan: we’ll see come the end of the season just how ‘done’ we are.
@Cathal Jenkinson: first of all Firminos brace and assists were against Bournemouth in a 9-0 hammering. Salah will come good, he’s too good of a player not too. In relation to VVD again he has, for some obvious and some less obvious reasons, been poor but should improve. It’s Midfield and using the high line where pool struggle. Thiago and Keita are injury prone and Henderson getting on. I think they’ll still get too 4 and get out of the group in the CL but that’s about it.
@Damien Leen: indeed we will
@John Fagan: as they where done 2 years ago. It’s great insights you find from opposing supporters.
@Gareth Keenan: Very harsh on Keith.
@Getard Lanslanger: I thought so too!
There’s no doubt Liverpool will bounce back. But the bar they set for themselves was incredible. It was almost 110% in 9 games out of 10. They’ll come back again but can’t see them getting close to city this year. Genuinely think there’s a good race on for 2nd across all the rest. Liverpool favourites but other teams now raising the bar themselves at the right time.
Liverpool s problems were evident long before Napoli game , and if you keep persisting doing the same thing and look for better then it’s called delusion . Keita is injured and all of a sudden he is fit for his country , something in the off field department needs sorting first imo .The high line is great if your mid field first does it’s job and I will include firmino in that department because he drops to bolster it , and the space that this leaves when people don’t work is obvious to all .
Always thought a manager’s job(generic, not just football) was to understand the scope, scale and changing nature of the environment within which they operate and adjust appropriately BEFORE the sh!t hits the fan.
Only a verbal agreement for potter at Chelsea , time to klippity klop down the road to london!!