Pogba opens up on Manchester United exit as Mourinho tries to lure Frenchman back to Old Trafford
Man Utd target Paul Pogba has spoken of his Old Trafford exit first time around.
Paul Pogba has revealed how Sir Alex Ferguson came to his home to try to convince him to stay at Manchester United.
But the French international was determined to leave Old Trafford after growing impatient about his lack of opportunities under the Scot.
Pogba is now a target for Jose Mourinho, who will have to pay in excess of £70m to prise him away from Juventus.
As exclusively revealed by MEN Sport last week Manchester City have pulled out of the race for the 23-year-old, clearing the way for United to make a move.
Mourinho will have to be more persuasive than Ferguson, who was desperate not to lose the midfielder in 2012.
United ultimately received minimal compensation for Pogba, who had set his heart on a transfer to Juve.
Opening up on Ferguson’s attempts to change his mind, Pogba said: “He’s a coach I respect a lot. But he’s a human.
“I’m someone who says what he thinks.
“Whether it’s Ferguson or (Barack) Obama, I’ll tell him.
“Ferguson came to my place. We talked. It did make me think.
“He wanted to keep me, but I’d made my decision to leave.”
Mourinho has made a world-class midfielder a priority this summer - and has also been linked with a move for Chelsea’s Nemanja Matic.
But Pogba would be the marquee signing executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward has craved since taking charge of United’s transfer policy in 2013.
Pogba has gone on to win four Italian titles with Juve - but made it clear that the Champions League is his ultimate target.
“I don’t think I am a great,” he said in an interview with ESPN. “I think I’ve done nothing.
“I’ve done nothing in soccer. I’ve won leagues, but I haven’t won the Champions League, the World Cup, the Euro.
“Winning the Euro in France, that wouldn’t be bad.
“That’s my strength. I want to work, to be a great, to win everything.”
Pogba also revealed Paul Scholes and Andrea Pirlo were major influences on him at United and then Juve.
He is set to be at the centre of a battle for his services this summer with Barcelona, Real Madrid and Paris St Germain also interested.
But he insists his immediate focus is on Euro 2016.
“I’m thinking about the match to come,” he said. “Then there’s the Euros, and after that the holidays.”