Liverpool legend scoffs at Manchester City’s reported interest in Manchester United star

Former Liverpool star Graeme Souness has scoffed at speculation Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba could join cross-city rivals Manchester City this summer.

Transfer talk surrounding the World Cup winner is far from a surprise as he approaches the final months of his current contract at Old Trafford.

But the speculation over a possible switch across Manchester will come as something of a surprise for supporters of both clubs.

A recent report in the Daily Mail suggested City have “asked to be kept informed” of Pogba’s situation as his second spell at United comes to a close.

Souness has been a consistent critic of the French international over the last few years and he believes any possible move to the Eithad would make no sense for the Premier League title contenders.

Speaking to The Times, he said: “I won’t say it defies football logic because that commodity is in rare supply these days but such a signing would run counter to the way Pep Guardiola likes to run a football team.

“For a start he wants his players ready to put in the hard yards – and the hard yards in the big games when City are up against it. He wants them to have the discipline and selflessness to appreciate their role in the City gameplan and execute accordingly.

“Pogba probably has as much talent if not more than Bernardo Silva or Kevin de Bruyne but which two of this trio would you rely on most to carry out the manager’s instructions for the full 90?

“In which of Manchester United’s big games this season has Pogba shown up?”

“Yes, unlike Declan Rice, for example, he would be available on a free transfer but this strikes me as a false economy.

“The simple fact that in the near six years of his second spell at United, the demands and intensity of the Premier League have proved too much for him.”