Manchester United Transfer News: Paul Pogba Pursuit Revelation, Latest Rumours

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has admitted that it was a challenge persuading Paul Pogba to re-join the Red Devils in the summer.

Pogba moved back to Old Trafford from Juventus for a world-record £89 million fee in the recent transfer window, four years on from leaving United for a negligible sum to join the Old Lady in 2012.

Mourinho has revealed that he was in daily contact with the French midfielder, 23, as he attempted to ward off interest from another major club, per Peter Staunton of Goal:

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It was hard to convince him. I had many [conversations] on the phone, lots of SMS. I think he was getting one in the morning from the manager from another big club and one in the afternoon from myself. I had to try hard to convince him to choose us instead of the other one.

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Alex Livesey/Getty Images

Real Madrid were reported as the key alternate suitors for Pogba during the ongoing saga leading up to his United switch, with Los Blancos rumoured to be keen to hijack the move just days before it was completed, per Jeremy Cross of the Daily Star.

In the end, though, United won the battle—no doubt in part thanks to Mourinho's rigorous approach—with Real reportedly not prepared to match the fee the Red Devils were offering, per Staunton.

Pogba has since started three times for United but has yet to hit his top form, and was criticised after an ill-disciplined performance in Saturday's 2-1 derby defeat to Manchester City, per Sky Sports MNF:

He has played all three matches so far under Mourinho as part of a deep-lying midfield duo, alongside Marouane Fellaini.

Per the Manchester Evening News' Samuel Luckhurst, Pogba will not flourish in such a position and should be played in a three-man midfield so that he has more freedom to utilise his impressive attacking talents.

Given that Mourinho was so insistent on snapping him up—and United paid so much money to get him—the Portuguese will doubtless change his current system if he feels he is not getting the best out of Pogba.

Because of his profile and price, Pogba has come under intense scrutiny already in the Premier League and he will be expected in 2016-17 to at least match the 12 assists and eight goals he tallied last season in Serie A for Juve, per WhoScored.com.

Mourinho, though, is sure to give him time to hit his straps in the English top flight as he clearly believes Pogba can be United's star player for years to come.