Paul Pogba Tells Critics to 'Forget' His Manchester United Transfer Fee

Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba has told his detractors to "forget" about his world-record transfer fee when assessing his performances.

The Frenchman has had an inconsistent season upon his return to Old Trafford following an £89 million move from Juventus last summer. Naturally, his uneven displays have prompted criticism, but the player said on Wednesday that he doesn't think too much about the pressure he's under as the most expensive player in history.

"We can forget about the transfer fee," he told reporters ahead of United's UEFA Europea League quarter-final tie with Anderlecht. "It's in the past. I think about the pitch, about myself, doing good on the pitch, doing good for the team. That's it."

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Still, having cost so much, United supporters may have been hoping for a little more than four goals and three assists in the Premier League from the 24-year-old. 

In fairness to Pogba, he has been a little unlucky in front of goal, per Samuel Luckhurst of the Manchester Evening News:

Pogba insisted that he shouldn’t be judged on his goal return anyway.

"People are looking me, saying: ‘Pogba should score goals, Pogba should do this’," he said. "Sometimes if I can make the team win, I will do it. If I was scoring the goals that hit the crossbar, I don’t think people would speak like this. But it’s football. We just enjoy it, we love it."

Given Pogba scored eight goals and notched 12 assists with Juventus in Serie A last season, it’s no surprise some are disappointed with his contributions in the final third. But what has also been lacking from him is the composure and quality needed to manage games from midfield.

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The France international has been erratic in possession at times this term, has a tendency to overcomplicate simple situations and clings to the ball for too long. Off the ball there have been questions asked too, with former Liverpool defender and Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher branding Pogba a "defensive liability" earlier in the term, per Jamie Jackson of the Guardian.

Still, it’s clear from his time with the Italian champions that there’s a world-class talent to be harnessed. David Amoyal of ESPN FC feels better days are to come at Old Trafford for the Frenchman:

While Pogba may shrug off the significance of his fee, it's extra scrutiny and pressure. That can hinder even the greatest players, as can moving to a new club and playing in a completely different setup.

Although the midfielder has failed to find consistency in 2016-17, there’s a hope in the United fanbase that after a summer of recuperation and a full pre-season at Old Trafford, he’ll be a different proposition next term.

Should he improve, add some regularity to his game and offer the driving force needed for the Red Devils to scale the summit of English football again, in years to come Pogba’s transfer fee will be viewed in an entirely different light.   

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