Jose Mourinho defends Manchester United’s £89m Paul Pogba fee

By Allan Valente

Jose Mourinho says Paul Pogba's pending world-record move to Manchester United is worth the money but admits the transfer market is crazy

Jose Mourinho has defended the reported £89m transfer fee Manchester United are set to pay for Paul Pogba but did admit football has become "crazy".

The Old Trafford club are on the brink of bringing the French midfielder back to Manchester for a world record fee after Juventus confirmed that they had allowed him to undertake a medical ahead of the proposed move.

Three things for United

Jose Mourinho's winning mentality and two new stars. United's Wembley talking points…

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger had previously labelled the fee as "completely crazy".

However, speaking after his side beat Leicester 2-1 to win the Community Shield at Wembley, Mourinho said the club should be proud they could attract players like Pogba and compared it to Gareth Bale's record-breaking move to Real Madrid from Tottenham in 2013.

Image: Mourinho says Man Utd should be proud they can attract players like Pogba to the club

"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.

Advertisement

"If you ask me if I think it is a lot of money, I think football is crazy, the market has become crazy.  

Image: Mourinho compared Pogba's fee to Gareth Bale's move to Real Madrid

"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.

Also See:

"I just know he is a big player that is going, for sure, to be important for a big club like Man United."

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho admits he is excited to bring Paul Pogba back to Old Trafford as the Frenchman is given permission to have a medica

Mourinho also believes that Zlatan Ibrahimovic will become even more prolific as the team adapts to a new style of play after the striker scored an 83rd-minute header to win the Wembley tie on Sunday after Jamie Vardy had cancelled out Jesse Lingard's opener.

Sky Sports Fantasy Football

Pick your team here, create a league and let the mind games begin!

"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.

Watch what happened when Mourinho spotted a journalist sleeping during his Community Shield news conference

"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."

Win Sky Q Ultra HD with Sky Sports

43" LG TV plus a Sky Q Ultra HD package including Sky Sports to be won EVERY DAY - enter now!

Outbrain