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Jose Mourinho says Paul Pogba's £89m fee may look 'cheap' for Manchester United

Manchester United's Portuguese manager Jose Mourinho (R) gestures to Manchester United's French midfielder Paul Pogba
Image: Jose Mourinho (right) thinks Paul Pogba will lose his status as the world's most expensive player next summer

Paul Pogba's world-record transfer fee will soon look like a bargain, says Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho.

United paid Juventus £89m to bring Pogba back to Old Trafford last summer, having allowed the midfielder to leave on a free transfer in 2012.

However, Mourinho believes United's spending on 23-year-old Pogba will look savvy compared to other clubs' transfer business in the near future, and has predicted a new record will be set.

Paul Pogba and Zlatan Ibrahimovic during the UEFA Europa  League match between Manchester United and AS Saint-Etienne at Old Trafford on February 16, 2017
Image: Pogba is Mourinho's marquee signing at United, also bringing Zlatan Ibrahimovic in on a free transfer

"The scrutiny on him is hard, is difficult," Mourinho told reporters. "But that's the price of being who he is and is also the price of his price.

"I am pretty sure that next summer some players with only half his quality probably will cost the same money or more, so I am waiting for that moment to release him from the scrutiny.

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Highlights from Manchester United's 2-0 win over Watford last weekend

"A few years ago £25m was a phenomenal player. Today, £25m is not even a player, it is a prospect of a player. Now if you want to buy a good prospect, a good 20-year-old player who can be fantastic, you are paying as if the player is already a big player.

"I think the next summer can bring a few surprises at this level and probably Paul will lose his status as the world's most expensive player, which is probably a good thing."

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Pogba, who has scored seven goals for United this season, hit the woodwork for the eighth time in the current campaign as United beat St Etienne in the first leg of their last-32 Europa League tie on Thursday.

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Mourinho added: "I am really happy with what he has been doing for us. He gives us an incredible balance and he is still very young. He starts build-ups from the back, he recovers the ball and at the top of the pitch he is a guy that can score goals. He can be fantastic and I think in a couple of years you will realise he was cheap."

Mourinho takes his side to Blackburn in the FA Cup on Sunday afternoon and has promised to field a strong team despite United facing the second leg of their tie against St Etienne on Wednesday before heading to Wembley for the EFL Cup final against Southampton four days later, live on Sky Sports 1 HD.

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