Jose Mourinho takes aim at Arsene Wenger and Jurgen Klopp over criticism of Paul Pogba transfer fee
Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho took aim at long-time adversary Arsene Wenger and Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp after the Old Trafford club completed their world-record £89m capture of midfielder Paul Pogba.
Pogba re-joined United from Serie A side Juventus, having left Manchester for Italy in 2012, in the early hours on Tuesday morning in a deal which could rise to £93m through various add-ons.
Wenger and Klopp have both spoken out about the size of the transfer fee, which usurped the £85m Real Madrid paid for Tottenham forward Gareth Bale in 2013 – the world’s previous highest transfer fee.
Former Chelsea boss Mourinho had already referred to the eagerness of other managers to discuss the Pogba deal as “unethical”, and was happy to hit back further.
“I understand that, sometimes in football, things happen and the club breaks the record, but this is only possible at clubs like Manchester United,” said Mourinho.
“When I heard some of the comments and heard some of the managers criticising that, I don’t think they ever have this problem because, to have this problem, you need to be at one of the top clubs in the world. So at Manchester United it can happen.”
Mourinho said in the aftermath of United’s Community Shield victory over Leicester City at Wembley on Sunday that Pogba has chosen the right club to assume the status of the world’s greatest player.