Share

Lineker hails 'watershed' Pogba deal

London - Former England star Gary Lineker claims Manchester United's world record signing of France midfielder Paul Pogba is a "watershed moment" for the Premier League.

Pogba rejoined United from Juventus on Tuesday in a sensational £89m deal that has the captivated the football world.

The 23-year-old, given the number six shirt by United, has signed a five-year contract with Jose Mourinho's team, four years after leaving to join Juventus for just £800 000.

With Real Madrid duo Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale and Barcelona forward Luis Suarez all lured away from the Premier League in recent years, Lineker, who played for Leicester, Everton, Tottenham and Barcelona, says Pogba's decision to join United sends a message that English clubs can still attract the very best players.

"The signing of Pogba by @ManUtd is a watershed moment for @premierleague. First time a huge foreign star in his prime has come to England," he wrote on Twitter.

"Given the wealth of the @premierleague more of the greats will come here and not just to Barca and Real Madrid. Interesting times."

Former United captain Rio Ferdinand was at the club during Pogba's first stint at Old Trafford and believes he won't let the pressure of living up to such a huge fee affect his performances.

"Paul is a huge talent and someone with the personality to handle that price tag," Ferdinand told BBC Sport.

"He can do everything. He is still working out the best way to use all of his weapons but, once he does, he will be an absolute monster of a player. Paul told me before he left that he wanted to be the best player in the world."

United midfielder Morgan Schneiderlin posted a picture and a message to his France team-mate on Instagram.

Below an image of the pair, along with Anthony Martial, Schneiderlin wrote:"Welcome back @paulpogba!"

Jesse Lingard, who scored the winner in United's FA Cup final success in May, won the FA Youth Cup in the same team as Pogba back in 2011 and used Instagram to simply say: "Wait on it...welcome home @paulpogba."

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
How much would you be prepared to pay for a ticket to watch the Springboks play against the All Blacks at Ellis Park or Cape Town Stadium this year?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
R0 - R200
33% - 1816 votes
R200 - R500
32% - 1774 votes
R500 - R800
19% - 1082 votes
R800 - R1500
8% - 459 votes
R1500 - R2500
3% - 186 votes
I'd pay anything! It's the Boks v All Blacks!
5% - 253 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE