Paul Pogba to Manchester United: Juventus midfielder has no regrets over leaving after Sir Alex Ferguson dispute
Pogba left United for just £800,000 but could return this summer as part of a £78m transfer
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Your support makes all the difference.Paul Pogba has admitted that he doesn’t regret leaving Manchester United after falling out with former manager Sir Alex Ferguson, with the Premier League club now facing the prospect of paying up to €100m [£78.1m] to sign a player who left them for just £800,000.
Pogba refused to sign a contract extension in 2012 and left United to join Juventus, resulting in the talented midfielder departing for a small compensation fee. The France international has since gone on to win four Serie A titles with Juventus as well as reach the Champions League final last season, leading to the 23-year-old to catch the eye of the likes of Barcelona, Real Madrid and United.
Manchester City attempted to sign Pogba last season, but were put off by the fee Juventus were demanding, and the Independent understands that new manager Pep Guardiola is willing to abandon any move for Pogba in order to target other options.
United though are in the market for Pogba and Jose Mourinho believes he can build his new team around a character like the Frenchman, who has displayed huge levels of confidence as well as the talent to match it. That confidence was seen as early as when he was 19 years old, when Pogba told Ferguson that he would be leaving United despite the legendary manager wanting to keep hold of the teenager.
“He's a coach I respect a lot,”Pogba told ESPN.co.uk of Ferguson. “But he's a human. I'm someone who says what he thinks. Whether it's Ferguson or [President Barack] Obama, I'll tell him.
“Ferguson came to my place. We talked. It did make me think. He wanted to keep me, but I'd made my decision to leave.”
However, during his time at Old Trafford, Pogba was able to hone his skills under the tutelage of another great midfielder in Paul Scholes, and it was the England international’s commitment to training that impressed Pogba and caused him to adapt and push his game forward.
“With them you train to the end, up to perfection, because Paul Scholes – despite his age – was still there at the end of practice, hitting long passes, shots,” he said. “He didn't miss one. When you're there, you have to adapt fast. I like that – always challenges.”
But Pogba would not be drawn on his future, and when pressed on whether he will leave Juventus this summer in a move that would fall marginally short of the £86m world record transfer fee set by Gareth Bale’s deal to join Real Madrid from Tottenham, Pogba refused to look beyond his immediate plans.
“You tell me. I'm asking you,” Pogba answered when asked if he’d leave the Serie A champions. “I'm thinking about the match to come. Then there's the Euros, and after that the holidays.”
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