Manchester United

Ryan Giggs defends Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba's price tag

By Daniel Lewis, Senior Reporter | 08 March 2017

Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba is still well on course to become a "brilliant footballer", according to club legend Ryan Giggs.

Ryan Giggs has told Paul Pogba's growing list of critics to stop focusing on the Manchester United midfielder's price tag and instead cut him some slack.

The France midfielder has failed to justify the world-record fee of £89m the Red Devils paid to bring him back to the club from Juventus last August.

Pogba has scored seven goals for United in all competition and has four assists, but Giggs has defended the inconsistent nature of the 23-year-old's performances by suggesting that no player in the world will dictate matches regularly at his age.

"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," he is quoted as saying by Sky Sports News.

"He will become a brilliant footballer, there is no doubt about that. He's scored seven goals - 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."

Pogba, also defended this week by another United legend in Paul Scholes, is expected to start Thursday's Europa League tie with Rostov - his 50th European outing.