Matteo Darmian has spoken in defence of his former Manchester United teammate Paul Pogba, claiming that most of criticism directed at the Frenchman has been unwarranted.
Speaking to The Guardian about the Frenchman, the full-back said: "Paul is my friend and I have an excellent relationship with him. First of all: we are talking about a real champion here, a great footballer, but even they can have some periods when they don't do as well [as they would like].
"The real 'problem' with Pogba at United, I think, was the price [£89.3 million] the club paid for him and that conditioned the way people perceived him. There has been a lot of unjustified criticism towards Pogba, for example that he doesn't work hard enough, but he always gave his best.
"In my opinion his performances were good in recent years, they talk about him too negatively [in the UK]. Did I see Pogba unhappy or willing to leave? No, I honestly didn't see him sad or unhappy, quite the opposite. Paul really cares about doing well at Manchester United."
Real Madrid and Juventus remain interested in signing Pogba this summer but it remains to be seen whether they will be able to afford the Frenchman's transfer fee in the post-coronavirus transfer market.
According to the BBC, a tier-one source, the 27-year-old could even sign a contract extension at Old Trafford and put all the rumours surrounding his future to rest.
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