Manchester United fans will have been trying their very best not to get excited by the stories linking Paul Pogba with a 'prodigal son' style return to Old Trafford this summer.
While the reports came from reputable sources such as Mark Ogden in the Independent, it's all too familiar for fans who have seen the club linked to pretty much every Ballon D'Or nominee in the last three seasons. Should Pogba eventually decided to re-join United, then it will be largely down to the pulling power of Jose Mourinho, but speaking to ESPN ahead of Euro 2016, the topic was steered towards a former United boss instead of the current one.
Pogba explained that he respects Ferguson, but that the two had differing ideas for the young Frenchman's future.
He's a coach I respect a lot. But he's a human. I'm someone who says what he thinks. Whether it's Ferguson or [President Barack] Obama, I'll tell him. Ferguson came to my place. We talked. It did make me think. He wanted to keep me, but I'd made my decision to leave.
It seems that Fergie's initial reluctance to trust in Pogba, in particular in the FA Cup game against Arsenal that saw Rafael Da Silva and Park Ji-Sung deployed in central midfield, coupled with the return from retirement of Paul Scholes, were enough to convince Pogba that it was time to leave, and although Ferguson tried to keep him, his mind was already made up.
That could end up costing United as much as €100m if the figures being talked about are to be believed, but at the same time you get the feeling that nobody associated with the club would have a problem with that if it saw the return of Pogba.
Paul Scholes was also brought up in the interview, and of course the Juve star had nothing but praise for the BT Sport pundit, in particular his work ethic in training.
With them you train to the end, up to perfection, because Paul Scholes -- despite his age -- was still there at the end of practice, hitting long passes, shots. He didn't miss one. When you're there, you have to adapt fast. I like that -- always challenges.
Pogba and his France teammates are tipped for big things this summer, but should he star as many expect him too then Manchester United will likely face opposition from Real Madrid for his signature as it seems clear that his future in Italy will not be resolved until after the tournament.
