Former Arsenal player Emmanuel Petit has slammed the £100 million rated Paul Pogba ‘a waste of money’.
With Pogba on the brink of securing a sensational move to former team Manchester United, Arsenal legend and ITV analyst Emmanuel Petit has criticized his fellow countryman, labeling him an overpriced commodity.
The Juventus star was on international duty at Euro 2016 in France and did not perform as many expected him to. In the final, Pogba seemed to be a peripheral figure, as the Portuguese midfield was running circles around the ragged midfielder. After suffering a disappointing defeat in Saint-Denis, Pogba’s club future is currently the talk of the town.
Only a week ago, it was reported that Manchester United had agreed to a staggering £100 million fee for the player – making him the world’s most expensive footballer. At the young age of 22, the Juventus superstar still has a lot to prove before he is to justify that heavy price tag. Emmanuel Petit, a former Les Bleus player, has reacted negatively to his gargantuan asking rate (via ESPN).
Petit said: “Imagine what you can do with £100m. Imagine you have given away your best car and, after a couple of years, you miss it so you want it back. Would you be happy with that? It’s a waste of money for me. For £100m, I would buy [Luis] Suarez.
“Pogba has a great future, but it is too early. I don’t like the situation around him all the time. We are making him out to be a big star, but he is not a big star for me,” he added.
The Arsenal legend also stated that he does not feel that Pogba is ready for Champions League or international football, and that he believes there is still a lot to be done for him to reach that level.
“He hasn’t reached the level of the Champions League yet or the international level with the national team. I am pretty sure he can do it, but this is too early.
“People talk about him all the time in the press, sending him flowers all the time, and I’m embarrassed about that. I haven’t seen the real Pogba yet. I am sure he has got the potential to reach his targets. For the moment, I am not really convinced.”
It is also known that Real Madrid, who were once the favourites to land the Juventus player, opted against signing him due to the colossal asking price. Speaking on the topic, Petit backed the Spanish side in their decision to not pay that amount of money for Pogba. He said:
“It’s not a question of money with Madrid. When they want a player, they put the money on the table, and that’s it and they win it. If they don’t want to fight with Manchester United for £100m, there is a reason behind that.”
