Jose Mourinho has lashed out at Arsenal and Liverpool managers Arsene Wenger and Jurgen Klopp respectively for condemning the huge transfer fee spent on signing Paul Pogba. Mourinho insists he spent for what is worth, and further derided Wenger and Klopp claiming they cannot afford such a big move, stating that they do not represent clubs as big as Manchester United.
Wenger had earlier described Pogba’s transfer fee as ‘completely crazy’, while Klopp had also said that he will not want to work in a footballing environment that accepts a £100 million fee as ‘normal’.
The Paul Pogba transfer saga went on for two months before the deal was officially announced on Tuesday. Prior to the world-record £89 million deal’s conclusion, Jose Mourinho had responded to Wenger and Klopp’s disapproval of the transfer, accusing their statements of being ‘unethical’.
Also Read: Arsenal coach Wenger describes recent EPL transfer fee as scary
Now that the transfer is official, it seems Jose Mourinho can’t resist playing mind games and take a dig at his fellow Premier League managers by saying, “I like everything [about Pogba],” the United manager said. “I know the discussion, I understand that – sometimes in football, things happen and the club breaks the record, but this is only possible at clubs like Man United.
"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 Man United it can happen.”
Read also: Wouldn't spend 100m pounds on one player: Liverpool manager Klopp
The world-record transfer deal has also seen pundits and big names from the footballing world echoing positive responses in favor of Manchester United. Former Red Devil Gary Neville and Match Presenter Gary Linekar feel the move is in the best interest of the Premier League as it signifies a reversing trend. Gary Linekar tweeted optimistically, “more of the greats will come here and not just to Barca and Real Madrid”.
Jose Mourinho reasoned with the club’s outlook towards the deal which involved a major Real Madrid interest. However, he warned fans of keeping immediate expectations and added, "He's a very young player, an unbelievable midfield player with such physicality but, at the same time, such agility, co-ordination, skill.
“He has everything. What he has to learn now is how to play with us because I always say that in football you can be a super player, like he is, but a team is a team and you need to learn how to play in the team, and the team needs to learn how to play with you.
"We need to get the best out of him and this will be a process. So if he needs protection, I am here to protect.”
The Manchester United manager has hit the bullseye with the completion of ‘fab four’ transfer targets, it seems Jose Mourinho could be spending more time using the club’s in-house media MUTV to take jibes at clubs and managers in his unique management of affairs.