London (AFP) – Manchester United’s new star Paul Pogba says his joy at completing a world record transfer from Juventus was tempered by the frustrating wait for the deal to be concluded.
United’s pursuit of Pogba started soon after manager Jose Mourinho was appointed in May, but it wasn’t officially completed until the early hours of Tuesday morning when the 89 million pounds (105 million euros, $116 million) deal was announced.
With his sensational return to Old Trafford finally complete, Pogba, who left United to join Juventus for £800,000 in 2012, admits he was growing increasingly frustrated at the long wait to put pen to paper on the five-year contract that will pay him a reported £290,000-per-week.
“This transfer took so long because it was a huge decision and involved lots of thinking and work. The wait was as annoying to me as it was to you,” Pogba wrote on his Instagram account.
“To all supporters who wrote on my pages about transfer rumours, I have read you all and thank you for the passionate messages. My apologies for not responding before, by law I could not talk.”
Pogba paid tribute to his team-mates and fans at Juventus, where he won four successive Serie A titles and reached a Champions League final, establishing himself as one of the world’s best players.
“Thanks Juve and all Juventini. I bring with me a part of you and I leave with you a part of me. Goodbye means nothing, it is the time we spent together that matters,” he wrote.
“Leaving Manchester when I was 18 was a mutual decision between the club and me and the right thing to do at that moment. Now it’s time to go back and forward, Old Trafford here I come!
“My deepest respect to the clubs who considered having me.
“Juventus will always be a part of me and I will always miss, love and be grateful to the club, the team and especially the supporters. I hope you can respect my decision. The most beautiful part of friendship is to understand and be understood.
“It is difficult to explain so much in a few lines but I made a decision guided by my heart and nothing else.”
