Andrea Pirlo: Manchester United a laughing stock at Juventus over stupidity of Paul Pogba deals

And the Italian World Cup and Champions League winner - who is turning out in the MLS for New York City these days - says United are still being mocked in Turin for their conduct in allowing Pogba to leave for under a million only to buy back him back for over £100m only four years later.

Pogba left Sir Alex Ferguson's United for around £800,000 in a compensation fee for Juve partly due to Fergie's disdain for the France midfielder's agent Mino Raiola, who is understood to have made £20m of the total £109m fee paid by United to break the world record transfer fee in bringing Pogba's return last week.

Pogba joined Juventus at the age of 19, but has enjoyed four Serie A titles, the Coppa Italia, two Italian Super Cup and appearances in the Champions League and Euro 2016 finals since he last turned out for United.

It prompts Pirlo to describe him as a "world-class talent". And he is still struggling to understand why United allowed such a talent to leave Old Trafford.

"On the first day training session Pogba had with Juventus, the players were laughing," said Pirlo in the Daily Mail.

"We were not laughing for any other reason than we were just in total disbelief that this player with so much obvious ability was able to leave a club the size of Manchester United for free - and I think Juventus are still laughing.

"I will always remember the first day he trained at Juventus. He was only young, but we could see he was special.

"We were walking back to the dressing room after the session and I clearly remember Gianluigi Buffon coming up to me laughing and he just said: 'Did they really let him go for free?'"