Paul Pogba Reportedly Ordered to Curb Commercial Activities by Jose Mourinho

Jose Mourinho has reportedly ordered world-record signing Paul Pogba to cut down on his commercial commitments and concentrate more on his football career.

Manchester United manager Mourinho has urged midfielder Pogba not to get distracted by his social media and marketing activities, per David Anderson of the Daily Mirror.

Old Trafford chief Mourinho is said to have been left particularly irked by Pogba launching his own Twitter emjoi, per the reports: "Pogba has extensive sponsorship agreements including a huge deal with sports goods giants Adidas, but it was the emoji episode that tipped the balance for Mourinho."

In fact, Mourinho has even indicated he will ditch the player who cost United an initial £89 million this summer if he doesn't heed his advice: "The United boss is believed to have told Pogba to cut down on his commercial activities, warning the France star he was prepared to drop him if he felt they were affecting his form."

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Pogba made Premier League history back in January by becoming the first player in the English top flight to have his own Twitter emoji, per Nick Coppack of United's official site. The same month also saw a Pogba-focused clothing line launched by Adidas, per Stacey Dutton of the Manchester Evening News.

It is these off-field commitments that may have prompted Mourinho's reported warning.

Even so, Mourinho lashed out at the player's critics earlier this month, per Paul Wilson of the Guardian: "It is not Paul's fault that he gets 10 times the money some players did in the past. It is not his fault that some pundits are in real trouble with their lives and need every coin to survive, while Paul is a multimillionaire."

Frankly, it would be fair to say Pogba has struggled to live up to his billing as the world's most expensive player. He has scored just seven goals and provided a mere four assists in all competitions, according to WhoScored.com.

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More than just the numbers, though, Pogba has routinely struggled to exert his influence in big matches.

United likely expected much more when they broke the global transfer record to bring Pogba back to Manchester from Serie A giants Juventus last summer. At his best, the 24-year-old offers a combination of power, technique and flair few other midfielders in the game can match.

Pogba should be scoring and creating goals at a prolific rate. Yet the longer he struggles, the more accusations about his desire for football will surface.