EPL 2016-17: Jamie Carragher says Paul Pogba is worth his price tag
Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher has defended Paul Pogba’s hefty price tag, stating that he would be a brilliant addition to the Premier League. The French star returned to Manchester United for a world record £89m from Juventus, making him the world’s most expensive football player ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale.
Many experts believe that United have paid way over the odds for the young Frenchman who is set to pocket £220,000 per week but Jamie feels that he has the abilities to become the best player in the world. Signed for such a huge sum, a lot will be expected of the young French midfielder but Carragher feels that the 23-year-old is up for the challenge. “He will be worth it if he plays well. It looks expensive and it is expensive.”
Also read: Bryan Robson says Pogba can be world's best
With most of the big money signings taking place either in the La Liga or Serie-A, Carragher couldn’t hide his delight at the fact that such a huge talent was arriving in England, but was disappointed that he had ended up at Manchester. “We should be pleased that he is coming to the Premier League. We have been moaning that Barcelona and Real Madrid take the best players from our league.
“We have got one of the world’s best. Unfortunately he’s at Manchester United!”
Although Pogba had a disappointing Euro 2016 campaign, the ex-Liverpool defender feels he showed flashes of his brilliance. “In England, there is still some scepticism about how good he actually is,” the former Liverpool star said.
“In the Euros, we were expecting a lot more from Pogba but you can see signs of how good he is. When you put the whole package together of the ability he has got, he will be a fantastic player.”
Manchester United have been one of the biggest spenders this season. Apart from the mind-boggling fee shelled out for Pogba, United have also spent big to acquire the services of Eric Bailly and Henrikh Mkhitaryan. The Red Devils have spent close to £150m and are considered by many to be favourites for the title.
United will be without the services of Pogba for their opening game against Bournemouth due to suspension. The Red Devils travel to the south coast in what will be Mourinho’s first league game in charge.
For a list of matchday 1 fixtures, click here.