Manchester United have finally completed the signing of Paul Pogba from Juventus for a world record transfer fee of £89m.
The French international completed his medical at the club yesterday and signed a five-year contract, with the 105m Euros fee to increase with several add-on clauses.
“I am delighted to rejoin United,” said Pogba. “It has always been a club with a special place in my heart and I am really looking forward to working with Jose Mourinho.
“I have thoroughly enjoyed my time at Juventus and have some fantastic memories of a great club with players that I count as friends.
“But I feel the time is right to go back to Old Trafford. I always enjoyed playing in front of the fans and can’t wait to make my contribution to the team. This is the right club for me to achieve everything I hope to in the game.”
Pogba, 23, left Manchester for Juventus in 2012 after he got signs that former coach Alex Ferguson was not planning with him. He made just seven senior appearances in all competitions for United, all from the bench.
It is unbelievable how a player like Pogba, with so much talent, got to play only seven times for United. Now the Red Devils are paying such a crazy fee for a player they unwisely left to go for free in 2012.
The truth is that Ferguson never gave the then 18 year-old a chance. The boy was patient. But he got frustrated when he thought that his time had come as Manchester lost its midfielder players. Instead of playing Pogba, Ferguson drafted full back Rafael da Silva into central midfield. Pogba started the game on the bench and never got on. That was the last straw.
‘Paul Scholes had retired and Darren Fletcher was injured,’ Pogba recalled in an interview.
‘And there was Rafael in midfield. I was disgusted.’
Worse was to come for Pogba nine days later when Scholes was called back from retirement.
“He is quick, strong, scores goals and reads the game better than many players much older than he is. At 23, he has the chance to make that position his own here over many years.
“He is young and will continue to improve; he has the chance to be at the heart of this club for the next decade and beyond.”
cpcnews.org 