Jose Mourinho Says He Has 'Never Been Happier' with Paul Pogba Amid Rift Rumours

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho on Friday said he has "never been happier" with Paul Pogba despite rumours of a rift between the pair.

Chris Wheeler of the Daily Mail recently reported that Pogba wants to join Barcelona and this the midfielder's relationship with the coach has deteriorated.

However, speaking to press ahead of the Red Devils' game against Brighton & Hove Albion on Sunday, the United boss said he is delighted with the club's record signing:

"The truth is we are together for two years and a couple of weeks and I've never been so happy with him as I am now. That's the truth. I cannot demand more from him, I cannot ask more from him, he came here on a Monday, trained for three days, I asked for his support for his contribution in an important match for us when the team had difficulties, he did it better and for more time than we could expect."

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Per the report, Mourinho also confirmed that Pogba will remain as the team's captain for the trip to the south coast, having been handed the armband for the Premier League's curtain-raiser against Leicester City.

Marca's Chris Winterburn relayed more comments from Mourinho on Pogba, who suggested some stories have been fabricated in the press:

As Samuel Luckhurst of the Manchester Evening News noted, Pogba's quotes following the Leicester game intensified speculation about his future. When asked about his position at United, the France international said: "There are things I cannot say. Otherwise, I will get fined."

The speculation hasn't been ideal for United at the start of the new season, especially as there was so much excitement about what Pogba would offer the team in 2018-19.

After all, the former Juventus man played some of the best football of his career during the 2018 FIFA World Cup, helping France on their way to glory in Russia. Pogba was the team's driving force in midfield, forging an excellent partnership with N'Golo Kante.

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Despite the recent bluster and his lack of involvement in pre-season matches, Pogba started the campaign well. He netted an early penalty against the Foxes and was a measured presence in the middle of the park for the 80 minutes he was on the field.

Following the effusive praise Mourinho has given Pogba, United fans will hope talk about a rift between the pair will settle down.

Daniel Harris of the Guardian thinks it would be to the benefit of everyone:

It feels like a critical season for Mourinho. Having watched on as Pogba bossed matches on the world stage this summer, there will be an onus on the Portuguese to get more out of the Frenchman in the United setup.

Pogba needs to do more too, as there were times last season when losses in focus and poor decisions in possession saw him hinder the team. If the captaincy can help add some consistency to his play, his status as one of the best midfielders in the world will only improve.