Former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand has warned the club not to do away with France World Cup star Paul Pogba and instead to focus on strengthening the squad.
Speculation about the midfielder’s future has become rampant, with reports of interest from Barcelona, but Ferdinand has told executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward that he must keep hold of the 25-year-old.
Manager Jose Mourinho has already predicted a “difficult season” if United do not sign more players before the Premier League transfer window closes on Thursday.
Ferdinand, who made more than 450 appearances for the club, wants Pogba to stay and Spurs defender Toby Alderweireld to come in.
“The other clubs who compete with us are really strong and already have fantastic teams. Or they are investing massively like Liverpool, who are buying everything and everybody.”
Pogba, a key member of the French team that won the World Cup in Russia last month, was part of United’s youth set-up but due to lack of first-team opportunities, opted to join Juventus in 2012.
Mourinho brought the player back to Manchester in 2016 for a then world-record fee of 89 million pounds ($115 million) but he struggled last season, left out of the starting line-up or substituted on a number of occasions.
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