Paul Pogba feels he has been “judged differently” due to the size of the fee that took him back to Manchester United, admitting he was surprised by the response.
World Cup winner Pogba has split opinions since returning to Old Trafford, where he previously starred for the United academy, in an £89 million ($113m) move from Juventus in 2016.
The deal broke the world transfer record at the time and the 26-year-old felt there was huge scrutiny regarding his performances as a result.
The likes of Neymar and Kylian Mbappe have since moved for greater sums, yet Pogba does not believe the reaction has been the same because of their goalscoring exploits.
“Because it was the biggest transfer in history at the time, you get judged differently,” he told the LifeTimes podcast. “They expect more from you because of the price tag.
“A good game would be a normal game. A top game would be a good game.”
Pogba added: “It’s a big amount. It went down when other transfers came, so it’s fine. I think it’s also because I’m a midfielder.
“People see more strikers because they score goals, so that’s why it made such a big impact. I don’t think [Neymar and Mbappe] get it because they’re strikers.
“I knew it would come with it. I knew there would be a big impact. But I didn’t know it would go so negative. When I signed, I wasn’t used to seeing so many negative comments.
“It was a big change. I was surprised. I didn’t know a price tag would change so much for people.
“Maybe they think I have the money. It’s not me – I don’t have the money. I don’t know [the reason for the criticism]. I wish I knew so I could help them get the answer.”
Pogba faced more questions of his contribution at United throughout the 2018-19 campaign.
He did record a personal best return of 16 goals and also made the PFA Premier League Team of the Year, but exit talk continues to rage around him with another transfer window having swung open.
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