Wednesday 8 March 2017 20:58, UK
Ryan Giggs admits Paul Pogba has not overwhelmed Manchester United after arriving for £93.25m, but says no 23-year-old midfielder would.
Pogba became the world's most expensive player when United re-signed him from Juventus, but has failed to improve the club's endeavours in the Premier League since Sir Alex Ferguson's departure, scoring just four goals and contributing three assists in 25 games this season.
Giggs broke into United's first team as a 17-year-old winger and had notched 33 top-flight goals by the time he turned 23, but he has defended Pogba's inconsistency since returning to Old Trafford.
"I have never seen a 23-year-old midfield player dominate games for a whole season, so the £90m that they paid is obviously what people focus on and talk about," said Giggs.
"He will become a brilliant footballer, there is no doubt about that.
"He's scored seven goals (in all competitions), not many midfielders at 23 will do that, but because he cost so much he's compared with that price tag, when actually he's done okay this season. Okay, not brilliant, but not really bad."
Manchester United have had to rely on 35-year-old striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic to secure vital victories this season, including his EFL Cup final winning double, but the club will have to do without him for their upcoming fixtures after he was handed a three-game ban for violent conduct during the 1-1 draw with Bournemouth.
Ibrahimovic will be absent for the FA Cup quarter-final clash with Chelsea on Monday, as well as Premier League games against Middlesbrough and West Brom, and Giggs admits he will be a big loss.
"He's been fantastic this season, United will miss him," said Giggs. "He can still play in Europe, it's just one of those things.
"It was a competitive game with a lot of incidents. A lot of incidents were missed, a lot were taken care of after the game. You just move on and deal with it."
