Pogba joins United from Juventus for world record fee of $116m.
LONDON (Reuters) – France midfielder Paul Pogba has rejoined Manchester United from Italian champions Juventus on a five-year contract, with the option to extend for a further year, the Premier League club said in a statement on Monday.
British media said United splashed out a world record fee of 89 million pounds ($115.98 million) on the 23-year-old, eclipsing the 100 million euros ($110.84 million) Real Madrid paid for Welshman Gareth Bale from Tottenham Hotspur in 2013.
“I am delighted to rejoin United. It has always been a club with a special place in my heart and I am really looking forward to working with Jose Mourinho,” Pogba said in a statement.
“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.
Pogba is the latest of Mourinho’s new signings following defender Eric Bailly, striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic and midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan as the Portuguese coach revamps the under-performing squad he inherited from Louis van Gaal.
“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,” added Mourinho. “He is quick, strong, scores goals and reads the game better than many players much older than he is.
The France midfielder, whose strength and range of passing should allow United to play a more expansive game than the limited style adopted by Dutchman Van Gaal, has been a hot property all summer with Real Madrid also hovering.
“Everyone is interested in Pogba. He is a great footballer and when you are Madrid you always want the best,” Real coach Zinedine Zidane had said before United wrapped up the deal for a player who scored 34 goals in 178 games for Juventus.
Pogba joined Juve in 2012, having come through Le Havre’s youth system before moving to United’s academy in 2009.
He won four Serie A titles and two Coppa Italia trophies in a successful spell with the Turin club, but was criticized after failing to shine in the 2015 Champions League final defeat by Barcelona and France’s Euro 2016 loss to Portugal on home soil.
Pogba had signed for United on a three-year deal with a one-year renewal option which then United manager Alex Ferguson was keen to activate, but the 18-year-old was frustrated by a lack of first-team opportunities at the club and decided to leave.
United has not challenged strongly for the Premier League title since Ferguson led them to the trophy in 2013 before ending his glittering 26-year reign as manager at Old Trafford.
Man City signs England defender Stones
In other news, Manchester City signed John Stones from Everton for 47.5 million pounds ($61.7 million) on Tuesday, making the England international the world’s second most expensive defender.
The 22-year-old agreed a six-year contract to join City as new manager Pep Guardiola continued a major overhaul of his squad in a bid to reclaim the Premier League title it last won in 2014.
Stones, who joined Everton from Barnsley in 2013 for three million pounds, is soccer’s second costliest defender after Brazilian David Luiz, who moved from Chelsea to Paris Saint Germain for 50 million pounds in 2014.
“I’m looking forward to the next stage in my career,” Stones said. “I’ve obviously seen what’s going on here at the Etihad, it’s an ambitious Club with a great manager so I can’t wait to get stuck in and help achieve the goals.”
Stones became City’s eighth signing of the transfer window after midfielders Ilkay Gundogan, Nolito, Aleksandar Zinchenko, Aaron Mooy and Marlos Moreno along with forwards Leroy Sane and Gabriel Jesus.
He could make his debut in City’s opening Premier League game at home to Sunderland on Saturday evening.