Manchester United icon Rio Ferdinand believes Paul Pogba would only leave Juventus 'to become the best player in the world'.

The deal for the transfer of 'France's golden nugget' to the Premier League was reported as imminent more than a week ago, but rumours are still ongoing.

Manchester United icon Rio Ferdinand believes Paul Pogba would only leave Juventus 'to become the best player in the world'.

The deal for the transfer of 'France's golden nugget' to the Premier League was reported as imminent more than a week ago, but rumours are still ongoing.

“I speak to Paul, I know him,” Rio Ferdinand told the Independent. “He’s someone for whom it’s all about football. It’s not about money. The biggest thing for me and my own family wasn’t the money, it was: ‘What’s Giggsy like? What’s Keane like?’

“Paul’s like that. He loves football. It’s all about improving and being the best. When he left I asked him why and he said: ‘I want to be the best player in the world.’ He’s on the right track. He’s not there yet.”

The 37-year-old believes that at this point in the negotiations, the Red Devils must sign Pogba to avoid a psychological blow to the squad.

“As a player in the changing room, you’ve been thinking for so long: ‘He’s coming, he’s coming’. If he doesn’t sign, it could have an adverse effect mentally on the players in the changing room. For a short period of time at least. It’s important they sign him.”

It's been repeatedly pointed out that, having allowed the 23-year-old to leave the club as a youngster, signing him back for €100-110m was hardly a good deal.

“Of course it isn’t, but, listen, when Chelsea sold [Nemanja] Matic and bought him back for £20m-plus it was the same. It’s bigger than that but it’s still a loss. That’s the way it goes. When he comes it’s just going to be down to the black and white: Will he perform? Will Manchester United win trophies?

“That’s how you get judged. People were saying when I went there that £30m was too much but then we started to win and people now look back and think ‘you know what, it wasn’t that expensive’.

“When you can say you’ve won six Premier League titles in 12 years, it’s okay. If he goes there for £100m and in 10 years he wins five titles and earns £100m worth in shirts sales, you’ll say ‘well done, good business.’

“Players don’t hold deals up, they either want to go or they don’t. It’s not the players, it’s the details between the clubs that’s the problem. His personal terms with the club would have been sorted, if they’ve spoken, all them things will be agreed. It’s just about the clubs agreeing little details.”

Byandrea

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