Manchester United sign Paul Pogba for world record £89 million from Juventus
:focal(179x135:181x133)/origin-imgresizer.eurosport.com/2015/03/26/1443595-30868867-310-310.jpg)
Updated 09/08/2016 at 08:49 GMT
Paul Pogba has finally made his world-record return to Manchester United, completing his move from Juventus for a reported fee of £89 million.
France's midfielder Paul Pogba acknowledges the fans after France beat Iceland 5-2
Image credit: AFP
The France star, 23, arrived at United’s training ground in Carrington for a medical on Monday and, after weeks of negotiations and mysterious social media updates, football’s financial landscape has now been officially redrawn.
United have confirmed that Pogba has signed a five-year contract with the option to extend the deal for a further year.
The fee paid for Pogba eclipses the £85m Real Madrid paid to recruit Gareth Bale from Tottenham in 2013 and represents a huge outlay for a club which lost Pogba to a free transfer at the age of 19 after he refused to sign a new contract.
/origin-imgresizer.eurosport.com/2016/08/08/1907205-40139881-2560-1440.jpg)
Pogba arrives in style for Manchester United medical
In the intervening years, Pogba has flourished into one of the world’s best midfielders and a prime contender to become the biggest name in the sport once Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo step away from the limelight.
Pogba won four Serie A titles in four seasons with Juventus as well as two Coppa Italias and two Italian Super Cups. He was a losing finalist in the 2015 Champions League as well as Euro 2016, as France lost to Portugal in Paris.
He is the first world record signing by an English club since Newcastle United paid £15m to sign Alan Shearer from Blackburn Rovers in 1996.
Pogba on 'special' move
"I am delighted to rejoin United," Pogba told the official United website.
It has always been a club with a special place in my heart and I am really looking forward to working with José 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.”
Mourinho on Pogba
"Paul is one of the best players in the world and will be a key part of the United team I want to build here for the future. 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.
United's successful summer
/origin-imgresizer.eurosport.com/2016/08/08/1907305-40141881-2560-1440.jpg)
Manchester United's Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Jesse Lingard and David De Gea celebrate with the trophy after winning the FA Community Shield
Image credit: Reuters
The capture of Pogba completes a remarkably successful summer for United as they go about rebuilding following the sacking of Louis van Gaal at the end of last season.
Executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward recruited Jose Mourinho as his replacement and the club have signed promising defender Eric Bailly for £35m, Armenia playmaker Henrik Mkhitaryan for £26m and superstar striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic on a free transfer.
Pogba's first United spell
The Frenchman joined United in 2009 as a 16-year-old from Le Havre and made only seven substitute appearances before his decision to walk away from a new deal at Old Trafford.
Sir Alex Ferguson had fallen out with his agent Mino Raiola and after the United great preferred to shoehorn Park Ji-sung and Rafael da Silva into central midfield rather than give him a chance. As he explained in 2014:
It was a very, very difficult moment for me because I was in love with Manchester and I was a Mancunian. It was the match against Blackburn in December 2011 at Old Trafford.
"Paul Scholes had retired, Darren Fletcher was injured. There was no one left to play in midfield. And I was training and I was beginning to get better bit by bit and the coach never stopped telling me, 'You're this far'.
"And I didn't understand. This far away from what? Playing? From having some playing time? From getting on the field? Or what? And there was Rafael in midfield and I was disgusted. I was disgusted and I didn't get on either."
Scan me
Related Topics
Share this article
Advertisement
Advertisement