Barcelona sporting director Ariedo Braida insists the Catalans were never in the running for Paul Pogba due to his price tag.
The 23-year-old France international signed for Manchester United from Juventus this week in a €105m move that broke the world transfer record.
Nonetheless, although Braida admits he is a fan of Pogba and that he is a great player, he says the Blaugrana were not in the race for his signature as they were never going to spend the kind of money being asked.
“The economics of the deal explain why we missed out on him, but Pogba will show his worth at Manchester United because you can’t question his ability,” confessed Braida in an exclusive interview with Gazzetta dello Sport.
“However, if he doesn’t impress in every game then there are bound to be questions. When people see certain numbers they think he can win games on his own, but that’s not possible.
“Nobody is worth the money that was paid for him. Every player is overvalued and when you hit certain numbers the gap with reality becomes very apparent.
“We are talking here about a deal worth €150m in total, so the pressure on him will be enormous.”
Braida maintains there will also be more pressure on Barcelona this season, particularly since Real Madrid won the Champions League last term
“The pressure is always there, as the rivalry with Madrid is the same every year. Barca will try to win everything but I can’t tell you what the main aim will be, although the Champions League brings the most acclaim.”
