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Ibrahimovic: Pogba critics 'jealous'

Cape Town - Zlatan Ibrahimovic has backed Paul Pogba to make his "jealous" critics eat their words.

Pogba joined Manchester United in a world-record £89m transfer from Juventus earlier this summer.

The midfielder has shown glimpses of his precocious talent but was largely anonymous in the derby defeat to Mancehster City at Old Trafford, with some pundits quick to jump on the 23-year-old's back.

"All the jealous people who talk about him will swallow all of the words they have said about him," United striker Ibrahimovic told SFR Sport. "He will only improve and will get everyone behind him.

"My relationship with Paul is easy: I speak, he listens. Paul is a player with a lot of talent.

He added: "Now, you have to be realistic, people are putting a lot of pressure on Paul. His transfer created a huge amount of buzz.

"I didn't know Paul before and, now that I do, I can tell you he's someone who works enormously. He really wants to improve and he has a super attitude. But you mustn't forget he's young. That's all I can say."

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