Former Manchester United defender Gary Neville has told the Daily Mirror he believes the club’s world record £89.3 signing of Paul Pogba could “be looked upon as cheap” in years to come.
Pogba arrived from Juventus earlier this summer, returning to the club he left in 2012, and Neville believes it will be another two or three years before the France midfielder reaches his peak.
Managers including Arsene Wenger of Arsenal and Liverpool’s Jurgen Klopp have voiced concerns over the size of the fee.
But Neville said: “Manchester United have always broken transfer records for players who are of a certain age, just below their peak.
“Roy Keane, Rio Ferdinand and Wayne Rooney spring to mind, and they are getting back to that blueprint with Pogba.
“He is two or three years short of his peak, but he is a profile signing that the club would normally make.
“To expect him to be like Bryan Robson or Roy Keane would be placing far too much expectation upon him. But if he gets anywhere near those levels in five or six years, he will be looked upon as cheap.”
Neville pointed out that the £34m United paid Leeds for Ferdinand in 2002 and the £25.6m spent to bring Rooney from Everton two years later were seen as vindicated by the success of those players at Old Trafford.
But he added: “For £89m, Pogba will be expected to win big games. He has to grab those games by the scruff of the neck, because at Manchester United you have to win your team big matches.”
Pogba is suspended for his side’s first Premier League match of the season at Bournemouth on Sunday, the Football Association confirmed on Friday.
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