A Manchester United official made a brutal comment about former player Paul Pogba after meeting potential target Jude Bellingham.
Officials at the club hope the teenager would fare better than former player Pogba who had two disastrous spells at Old Trafford.
After graduating from United’s academy, Pogba left on bad terms before returning in 2016 for a then world-record £89m.
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The move naturally came with huge expectations but the Frenchman failed to impress and has since returned to Italy.
The Red Devils are now considering a move for midfielder Bellingham with rumours ramping up after Liverpool cooled their interest in the star.
He shone at the World Cup in Qatar which led to the United official who met him, saying: “That’s what Pogba should have done,” as reported by the Manchester Evening News (via The Mirror).
The report states that the meeting may have occurred when United attempted to lure Bellingham to the club in 2020 back when he was playing for Birmingham City.
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He took a tour of United’s Carrington training facility and even met legends Sir Alex Ferguson, Eric Cantona and Bryan Robson.
Robson, who Bellingham's been compared to in the past said at the time: "Unfortunately for us he decided to move to Germany. We thought we more or less had him."
Could he go to United now?
United and Erik ten Hag could re-enter the race to sign Bellingham this summer but would face tough competition from Real Madrid and Manchester City.
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The MEN say that the Dutch manager rates the midfielder highly but it would take a huge amount of money to bring him to Old Trafford.
Add that to the ongoing sale fiasco gripping the Red Devils, it’s unlikely huge amounts will be spent until that process is complete.
United are also in need of reinforcements up front and are likely to concentrate their efforts on recruiting a striker.
They have been linked to Tottenham Hotspur striker Harry Kane who’s likely to cost around the £100m mark.
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Borussia Dortmund are set to demand even more than that for Bellingham’s signature which has already put Liverpool off and could deter others.
Featured Image Credit: AlamyTopics: Manchester United, Paul Pogba, Jude Bellingham, Premier League, Transfers