Jose Mourinho sure of Paul Pogba purchase for Manchester United

Manchester: Jose Mourinho expressed confidence yesterday that Manchester United will sign Paul Pogba in time for the Premier League season and criticised rival managers' reactions to the mooted world-record transfer.

Jose Mourinho

United and Juventus are believed to be putting the finishing touches to a deal for the France midfielder expected to exceed £100 million. Mourinho described other managers, such as Liverpool's Jurgen Klopp and Arsenal's Arsene Wenger, as "unethical" for talking openly about the Pogba fee and questioning his colossal price tag.

Whatever the validity of their claims, Pogba's arrival at Old Trafford appears imminent and Mourinho is hopeful that his squad will be complete in time for United's trip to Bournemouth a week on Sunday. "Yes, we have 22 players and we are going to have 23," said Mourinho when asked if a signing was close.

Jose criticised rival
"I don't like to speak about other clubs or players from other clubs. Other managers like to do that. They like to speak about my club and my players.

France' Paul Pogba during a training session in Paris last month. Pic/Getty Images

"I am very pragmatic on this. All that matters is what happens in my house and not in my neighbour's house. Paul Pogba is a Juventus player until he isn't, officially, so we stay like this. The market closes on August 31, but I think my club is trying to do everything to close our market before the 14th.

"Normally, next week, we will have our squad closed." Wenger described the potential Pogba fee as "completely crazy", while Klopp said he wanted no involvement in such an inflated transfer market - comments that clearly did not sit well with United's manager.

"I only speak about us," said Mourinho. "I heard already two of my colleagues from other clubs speaking about us. I do not like that. It is not ethical."