Mauro Icardi has caused controversy by firing his agent of ten years, and instead allegedly passed responsibility of his business dealings on to his model wife, Wanda Nara.

Abian Moreno, Icardi‘s long-term agent, revealed to Radio Uno that his contract with the Inter Milan striker had not been renewed.

Though neither Icardi nor Nara have publicly commented on the news, the latter has all but confirmed the rumours by sharing articles on the subject via Twitter.

The couple have attracted controversy in the past, getting together after Nara’s divorce from Icardi‘s former Sampdoria teammate Diego Lopez.

[h/t goal.com]

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Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho has revealed the one thing that would cause him to walk out on the club for a second time—losing the trust of his players.

So report Neil Ashton and Matt Barlow for the Daily Mail, who shared the Portuguese manager’s remarkable post-match interview with Sky Sports following the Blues’ 3-1 defeat to Southampton.

Mourinho said:

Go straight to the players. If they tell you they don’t trust me, it is the only thing that can make me resign.

Ask the players. Don’t go with fake sources, the player’s told a friend and the friend’s told the agent and the agent is not happy because I don’t play his player.

Fortunately for Mourinho, captain John Terry insists he has the faith of the players despite the defender being dropped for significant portions of the current campaign.

The 34-year-old told Chelsea’s official website:

We have a big group of players and we have the best manager who we remain behind and we remain together. That is what you do in tough circumstances.

I have been here a long time and I have seen managers come and go and if anyone is going to get us out of this hole it is going to be Jose Mourinho.

The club currently reside in the unfamiliar territory of 16th in the Premier League table having won just two games all season.

Chelsea have already lost four matches—more than in the entirety of last season’s title-winning campaign—out of their first eight, including two at Stamford Bridge, formerly a fortress under Mourinho in the Premier League.

In sharp contrast to last season, when they boasted the meanest defence in the league with just 32 goals conceded, the Blues have already shipped 17—more than half of that total and better only than Sunderland.

The spell is comfortably the most difficult in Mourinho’s trophy-laden managerial career, in which he has tasted great success at Porto, Inter Milan and Real Madrid as well as Chelsea.

Talented and successful as he is, the 52-year-old is firmly treading on new ground here and it’s possible his lack of experience in dealing with situations such as this is hindering his attempts to push his side back up the table.

Tactically at least, it’s difficult to pinpoint the root of the problem as he is using the same 4-2-3-1 system that won them the title last season with largely the same personnel.

Simply, almost every single one of their players is significantly under-performing. Eden Hazard has looked a shadow of his former self and is yet to score this season, while Cesc Fabregas and Nemanja Matic have left the defence horribly exposed.

Completely vulnerable, the likes of Terry and Branislav Ivanovic, 31, have looked their age and the whole back line has made a catalogue of errors.

If Mourinho is true to his word, he still has plenty of time to steady the ship before the players lose trust in him though, as his previously unblemished record warrants patience in the face of a bad two months.

That said, if he can’t right things sooner rather than later, owner Roman Abramovich could make the decision for him.

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Sampdoria midfielder Joaquin Correa may have earned himself a place in blooper videos for years to come after missing an open goal from a matter of yards in Sunday’s Serie A clash with Inter Milan.

The chance presented itself when Inter goalkeeper Samir Handanovic partially saved Correa‘s initial, only for the ball to present itself back to the striker with the ‘keeper out of the way, three yards from goal.

But with the goal gaping, Correa somehow managed to screw his shot wide. Cue head in hands.

[Twitter: @inter_latino]

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Juventus released a statement on Tuesday night condemning the actions of Martin Caceres after the Uruguayan defender was caught allegedly drink-driving.

“The conduct of Martin Caceres on the night of 28 September represents gross violation of his responsibilities as a Juventus player, as well as damaging the image of the club,” Juventus wrote on its English language website.

Juve also stated Caceres will also be suspended and fined by the club.

According to Italian wire service ANSA (h/t BBC Sport), Caceres crashed his Ferrari into multiple parked cars and a bus stop while driving through Turin, Italy. Authorities then tested his blood-alcohol level, which registered over the legal limit.    

BBC Sport shared photos from the scene of Caceres’ accident:

His agent, former footballer Daniel Fonseca, denied he was drunk at the time of the wreck.

“It was a dinner between friends, they drank a toast and had some champagne. All it takes is a glass of alcohol to go over the limit,” Fonseca told Sky Sport Italia (h/t Football Italia). “Martin was not drunk and anyone who knows him will realise that. Having said that, he made a mistake, he should’ve got a taxi and it would’ve ended there.”

The 28-year-old will miss Juventus’ Champions League clash with Sevilla on Wednesday as a result of his suspension. The club has yet to say one way or the other whether he’ll be available to play against Inter Milan on 18 October, which will be a big match for the reigning Serie A champions. 

Given the fact Juve have taken just five points from their first six matches, Caceres’ suspension and subsequent legal issues are added distractions they don’t need at the moment.

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Given South America has consistently produced some of the world’s finest players, it’s somewhat baffling that they have often struggled to make an impact in the Premier League.

Two of Manchester United’s most trumpeted signings—Juan Sebastian Veron and Angel Di Maria—were hugely underwhelming during their time in England, with the physical nature of English football and the difficulty adapting to the culture and climate cited as reasons for their struggles.

Manchester City rocked the football world when they signed Robinho from Real Madrid back in 2008. Having been taken over by Sheikh Mansour and instantly becoming the richest side in the game, City wanted to flex their newfound financial muscle and make a statement of intent.

Robinho served that purpose but failed to consistently make his mark on the pitch, with his appetite for away games questionable at best.

Hernan Crespo moved to Chelsea from Inter Milan with a reputation as one of the best strikers in the world, but he found goals harder to come by in the Premier League than in Serie A. Kleberson arrived at Old Trafford touted as a star, only to fail spectacularly. And Radamel Falcao, although beset by injuries during his time in England, has failed to live up to the almost mythical status he achieved during spells with Atletico Madrid and Monaco. The less said about Mauro Boselli’s time at Wigan, the better.

There have, of course, been success stories. Juninho lit up the memorable Middlesbrough side of the mid-to-late ’90s, and Gus Poyet was a star of Chelsea’s renaissance during the same period.

At that time, though, there were very few South Americans in the Premier League. They were either reluctant to join, preferring climates and cultures more akin to the ones they grew up with, or treated with suspicion by managers of English clubs fearful of failure.

But in recent years, more and more are moving to England and thriving. Chelsea’s contingent of Oscar, Willian, Ramires and Diego Costa were central to their recent league-and cup-winning season, and Sergio Aguero is perhaps the best striker in the division. Alexis Sanchez has excelled for Arsenal, Enner Valencia has shown flashes of quality for West Ham, and Philippe Coutinho is Liverpool’s most consistently impressive player.

So what’s it like for a South American footballer arriving on these shores?

“To be honest, it is quite difficult,” Fernando, Manchester City’s Brazilian midfielder, told Bleacher Report through a translator.

“For South Americans, we’re used to being in the sun, but I’m not looking for excuses and I’m not going to put this place down. I have a strong belief that if God put me here, then I need to overcome any obstacles and succeed and make it here. I am very thankful for the city I am in and the club that I am in.”

Fernando signed from Porto in the summer of 2014, and his first season wasn’t as successful as he would have liked. City struggled to replicate the style that brought them success in the previous campaign, with a collapse in form at the turn of the year ending any hopes they had of silverware.

They won just four of 15 games across all competitions between mid-January and mid-April, and only a six-match winning run right at the end of the season saw them guarantee themselves Champions League football in 2015/16. For a side that began the year hoping to retain their title and improve their European performance, it simply wasn’t good enough.

His own form, too, was poor. After man-of-the-match performances in the opening two games of the season, he suffered a groin injury against Stoke City. When he returned, he couldn’t get back to his best and produced a series of underwhelming displays, playing through constant pain and discomfort.

“I had a great preseason [in 2014] and I arrived on top of my game,” he says. “I was able to play really well.

“Unfortunately, I picked up an injury that set me back a bit. I never could get back to my best. I tried hard, I kept playing, but I felt pain.

“I’m getting stronger and better now, and hopefully I can get back to the top of my game like the beginning of last season.”

His groin injury resurfaced and kept him out of the first month of this campaign, but he played in Tuesday’s League Cup win away at Sunderland and then again at White Hart Lane on Saturday where City lost 4-1. 

“It was a groin injury, a very painful one as well. I have seen specialists and I have been working with specific exercises every day at the gym in order for the pain to go away. I’m feeling good.”

He has returned to a squad that looks far more determined and hungry for success than at any stage last season.

“We have started the season very focused,” he says. “Last season we were a bit relaxed. That’s the main difference.

“Everyone has started on the same page now—very focused on the objective. We need to remain doing this because the main objective is to win the league at the end of the season.”

Fernando grew up in Alto Paraiso, a small town in the north-east region of Brazil, known for its agriculture and beautiful natural landscape, a haven for neo-hippies in search of a spiritual holiday experience. “It was a nice childhood,” he remembers fondly. “Sometimes difficult, even though my parents tried to do the best they could.

“All the memories I have are of playing on football pitches with my friends or on the streets. It’s a nice city. There’s a lot of tourists who go there. But it was a nice, quiet, reasonable childhood.”

It was also a childhood dominated by his love of football. “The very first memories I’ve got are of playing football in the streets with my friends and sometimes, when a car was driving by, we’d have to remove the goal and stop the game! I also remember playing in school tournaments with my friends.

“I was always one of the best guys on the street. When I’d play with my group of friends, I was always one of the best ones. But when I really started dreaming about playing professionally was when my older brothers all went for trials at clubs and they didn’t make it, then I went for a trial and passed. That’s when I started dreaming about a life in football. I’m very thankful of where I am today.

“There were several people who helped me achieve my dream but mainly my family—my parents and my brothers. Basically, I was 16 years old when I left home and had to move to a different city, and it would not have been possible without the love and support of my family. When you are a teenager, you rely on them, so my family were my main support.”

Brazil has a rich history of producing some of the best attacking players the game has ever seen. Pele, Zico, Garrincha, Rivelino, Rivaldo, Socrates, Ronaldinho, Ronaldo, Romario, Neymar—it’s a who’s who of the world’s finest.

So who did Fernando, an out-and-out defensive midfielder, model his game on? “A player I’ve always admired is Gilberto Silva. He played here in England as well [with Arsenal]. I’ve always admired him very much.”

He enjoyed huge success at Porto, winning four league titles, a Europa League and two Portuguese cups. It was a glorious period for the club, with Fernando seen as a key member of the side.

His transition into the City team has been more difficult, but his hunger for silverware remains as strong as ever: “My main objective is to do what I did in Porto. I arrived there and won titles. I have been here and I’ve not been able to win any titles yet, so I need to work very hard, help the team and we need titles, that’s what the fans want.”

His task now will be to force his way back into Manuel Pellegrini’s side, a far more difficult ask than it was last season. With Yaya Toure and Fernandinho back to their best, finding a role in the side won’t be easy.

It’s arguably the biggest challenge of Fernando’s career to date, but if he can manage it, he has a wonderful opportunity to add further honours to his already impressive list.

Fernando wears the new Baltic/Serene Green New Balance Visaro football boots, designed for players who “Make Chances.” To find out more about New Balance Football go to http://ift.tt/1ArbQ9M or follow @NBFootball on Twitter and Instagram. All quotes were gathered firsthand. 

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Manchester United‘s Victor Valdes has reportedly emerged as a surprise target for Chelsea, as the Blues look to bolster their goalkeeping ranks with No. 1 Thibaut Courtois a long-term injury absentee.

Courtois picked up a knee injury earlier this month, which is set to keep him out of action until December. Former Stoke City goalkeeper Asmir Begovic is an able deputy, but Chelsea will be in trouble should the Bosnian pick up an injury or suspension, as they have no obvious backup.

As a result, Blues manager Jose Mourinho is reportedly targeting out-of-favour United goalkeeper Valdes, per MailOnline’s Sami Mokbel. 

Mokbel reports that, should Begovic become unavailable, Chelsea will apply for an emergency loan, and Valdes is a potential replacement option along with Inter Milan‘s Juan Pablo Carrizo, Atletico Madrid‘s Miguel Angel Moya and Porto’s Helton.

It is likely that former Barcelona keeper Valdes would be open to the move, as he has been sidelined at Old Trafford after falling out with manager Louis van Gaal, per ESPN FC’s Alex Shaw.

However, it seems highly unlikely that the Red Devils would be open to moving Valdes on to a Premier League rival, even though David De Gea and Sergio Romero are now above him in the pecking order. 

Begovic’s current deputy at Stamford Bridge is 21-year-old Jamal Blackman, who has never made a Premier League appearance.

Thus any injury to Begovic before the return of Courtois would likely have an adverse effect on the Blues’ attempt to defend their Premier League title.

Per Bleacher Report’s Sam Tighe, Chelsea have started the season in disappointing fashion and currently sit 15th in the English top flight:

Mourinho’s men have been uncharacteristically dreadful at the back so far in 2015-16—only bottom-of-the-table Sunderland have conceded more than the Blues’ 12 goals—a problem that would only be exacerbated should Begovic pick up an injury or suspension.  

Valdes would be a brilliant backup to bring in, as he is hugely experienced at the top level, having spent over a decade at Barcelona and won three Champions League titles.

However, Chelsea may struggle to sign him given that United would be loath to strengthen one of their key Premier League rivals.

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Iago Aspas scored a brace as Celta Viga claimed a shocking 4-1 victory over Barcelona on Wednesday in La Liga. 

Celta dominated their more famous visitors throughout the night, taking a 2-0 lead into halftime on goals by Nolito and Aspas. After the break, Aspas netted his second before Neymar pulled a goal back for Barcelona. John Guidetti then sealed the win with Celta’s fourth in the 83rd minute.

“I’m not happy to lose 4-1. I’ll evaluate and analyse it but it’s a test to show how difficult it can be,” Barcelona coach Luis Enrique Barca boss told reporters (h/t Goal.com). “All that remains is to congratulate Celta. They played a very complete game, in terms of effectiveness and their football.”

The result was historic on multiple levels. Celta had not scored four goals in a league game against Barcelona since 1957, per ESPN FC. As B/R UK noted on Twitter, it was Barca’s first three-goal loss in La Liga since 2008. 

While the scoreline was certainly a shock, perhaps more should have seen it coming. After winning the treble last season, Barcelona have been vulnerable defensively in the early stages of the current campaign. The Blaugrana conceded four goals in the UEFA Super Cup and let in five more over two legs of the Spanish Super Cup.

Celta, meanwhile, have one of La Liga’s most potent attacking threats in Nolito, as Opta pointed out:

The loss sent Barcelona tumbling to fifth place, though Luis Enrique’s men sit just one point behind Real Madrid, Celta Vigo and Villarreal. The Blaugrana will hope to right the ship on Saturday, when Las Palmas visit the Camp Nou. Celta play at Eibar the same day. 

Elsewhere in La Liga, Real Madrid took over first place with a 2-1 win at Athletic Bilbao. Karim Benzema fired in both goals as the Blancos claimed the top spot on goal difference.

Benzema pounced on a mistake to put Real ahead in the 19th minute. Then, just three minutes after Athletic had leveled through Sabin Merino, the Frenchman grabbed the winner with a tap-in.

Up next for Real is a home match against Malaga on Saturday.

Dortmund held, Gladbach finally win

Borussia Dortmund failed to win for the first time in 12 competitive matches this season, settling for a 1-1 draw at Hoffenheim in the Bundesliga.

Thomas Tuchel’s side had won each of their 11 previous matches in all competitions, but Wednesday’s draw leaves BVB two points behind Bayern Munich at the top of the Bundesliga table.

Sebastian Rudy gave Hoffenheim the lead just before halftime, but Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang equalized for Dortmund after the break with his seventh goal of the season.

At the other end of the table, Borussia Monchengladbach won for the first time in six attempts, beating Augsburg 4-2 at Borussia-Park. The win came just three days after Lucien Favre resigned as manager. The Foals had started the season with five consecutive losses, conceding 12 goals in the process.

Against Augsburg, however, Gladbach couldn’t have asked for a better start. United States international Fabian Johnson opened the scoring in the fifth minute, and Granit Xhaka, Lars Stindl and Mahmoud Dahoud all found the net by the 21st minute to make the score 4-0. 

Paul Verhaegh converted two second-half penalties for Augsburg, who have also won just once in their first six league games.

Inter maintain perfect start

Inter Milan remained perfect in Serie A with a 1-0 victory at home over Hellas Verona. Felipe Melo scored the game’s only goal in the 56th minute as the Nerazzurri claimed a fifth win from five matches this season.

Roberto Mancini’s men top the table with 15 points, three clear of Fiorentina in second place.

Champions Juventus are now 10 points off the top following yet another disappointing result, a 1-1 draw against bottom club Frosinone. The hosts took the lead through Simone Zaza early in the second half, but Frosinone—who are playing their first-ever season in Serie A—equalized on Leonardo Blanchard’s header in stoppage time.

It was the promoted club’s first point in Italy’s top flight. Juventus, who are searching for a fifth straight title, have claimed only five points from their first five matches.

Flamini fires Arsenal past Spurs

Veteran midfielder Mathieu Flamini recorded the first brace of his career as Arsenal defeated north London rivals Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 in the Capital One Cup. Flamini put the Gunners ahead in the first half after latching onto a rebound. Then, after an own goal drew Tottenham level, he volleyed in the winner 12 minutes from time.

Elsewhere in the Cup, Manchester United eased past Ipswich Town 3-0, Chelsea routed Walsall 4-1 and Liverpool needed penalties to beat fourth-tier Carlisle United.

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Sir Alex Ferguson has published details of a private letter he sent to Eric Cantona after the Frenchman decided to retire in 1997.

The Scot provided a version of the letter in his new book Leading, and in it he discusses the club’s tour of the Far East, the signing of Teddy Sheringham and the club’s performance in the Charity Shield. He also reveals that he was hoping the forward might still turn up at training despite his decision to hang up the boots.

Fergie also tells Cantona that he’s always welcome at the club and that he has a friend in his former Old Trafford manager should he wish to discuss anything over a cup of tea.

The letter reads in full, per the Independent:

Dear Eric

Some months have passed since we last spoke and I felt that I should write to you as a mark of respect and esteem in which I hold you.

When we re-started training, I kept waiting for you to turn up as normal but I think that was in hope not realism and I knew in your eyes when we met a Mottram your time at Manchester United was over. Although, I still feel you should have taken both your Father’s and my advice and taken a holiday before making such a major decision.

One thing I would like you to remember is to remain active and fit. I always remember when I finished at 32 and I started management, I was more concerned about organising training and the coaching of players that I forgot about my own fitness and then when I realised about six years later what was happening, I started to train again to recapture my fitness and it was murder, so you do need to keep your fitness.

I am sure you have been keeping an eye on our results and as you can see we are doing quite well as you know we have signed Teddy Sheringham to replace you but at the moment he is finding it difficult to find the space he got at Tottenham and is playing deep so we have some adjusting to do. Players sometimes don’t realise how difficult it is to play at our level as every game is a Cup Final for our opponents so I just hope he can do it for us.

Our pre-season tour wasn’t too bad. The Far East tour was better than expected and our games against Inter Milan were very good. The Charity Shield wasn’t a great performance but we were better than Chelsea and deserved to win, even though it went to penalties.

I still feel as we discussed at the end of the season that a top class striker is what is needed and that is always going to be the problem at our club as the financial restraints will always stop us getting the best because of our wage structure and it is such a pity because when you are at at the top you should buy the best to stop the others getting to you. If I was younger, I suppose I would look at it differently, but from a personal point of view, I have not won the European Cup and it does get to me at times. However I just carry on and not put up a mental barrier and I have always had that belief and trust in my players and wish to continue to do so. I keep hoping that i will discover a young Cantona! It is a dream!

As I close this letter, I would like to hope that we will have a chat, a drink, or a meal together soon. I know the club has written to you about the forthcoming dinner and I hope you will manage it, but that is not the most important thing, for it is to remind you how good a player you were for Manchester United and how grateful I am for the service you gave me. I will never forget that and I hope you won’t either.

You are always welcome here and if you just pop in unexpectedly for a cup of tea, no fanfare, just for a chat as friends, that would mean more to me than anything. Eric you where I am if you need me and now that you are no longer one of my players, I hope you know you have a friend.

Good luck and God bless,

Yours sincerely

Alex Ferguson CBE

A truly great gesture from a truly great manager.

[H/T Independent]

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Barcelona star Neymar has fuelled rumours of a potential move for Liverpool’s Philippe Coutinho to the Camp Nou by saying he would like to join forces with his Brazil teammate at the Catalan club.

Coutinho is arguably Liverpool’s best player, but he is now being linked with a move to Barcelona after Neymar suggested he is good enough to join the European champions, per the Daily Mail‘s Pete Jenson:

“Coutinho is a crack (top player) and I would like to play alongside him for Barcelona. He has the level to play for Barca.”

Jenson suggested that the 23-year-old Coutinho could be a cheaper alternative next summer to Barca’s prime midfield target, Juventus’ Paul Pogba.

If the Brazilian midfielder were to depart Anfield for the Camp Nou in 2016, it would be the third successive season in which Liverpool have lost their best player—following Luis Suarez‘s move to Barca and Raheem Sterling’s switch to Manchester City.

Indeed, former Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard has already warned of the dangers of losing Coutinho, per Bleacher Report UK:

However, it seems like a distinct possibility that the former Inter Milan man may not stay past next summer.

In a team now without Suarez, Sterling and Gerrard, Coutinho looks like the only player who is capable of consistently turning a game in Liverpool’s favour.

However, he has not been able to propel manager Brendan Rodgers’ side to a successful start to the new Premier League campaign, and Liverpool now sit in 13th place, having picked up just eight points from their first six matches.

Coutinho was suspended for the Reds’ biggest game of the season thus far against Manchester United, a match in which Liverpool looked devoid of ideas going forward and got on the scoresheet in the 3-1 defeat only because of a Christian Benteke wonder goal. 

If Liverpool fail to finish in the top four this season, at the least, Coutinho is likely to look elsewhere for Champions League football.

He arrived at Anfield from Inter in 2013 for a bargain £8.5 million transfer fee and is only in the first year of a new five-year contract signed in January.

Liverpool will thus be able to demand a big fee, should Barca or any other club come in for him next summer.

However, the big-money sales of Suarez and Sterling have yet to return any effective reinvestment, and should Coutinho leave the club, it will be another indication that Liverpool are no longer able to hold on to their best players.

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Former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has revealed he was once interested in signing Mario Balotelli before he was dissuaded by reports of the Italian’s attitude.

Ferguson quit the top job at United after 27 years of success at Old Trafford, but in 2010 he says he considered signing Balotelli from Inter Milan.

However, as he revealed in his new book, Leading, he was warned off the wayward forward by various contacts in Italy, via MailOnline’s Matt Barlow:

In 2010 I briefly flirted with the idea of signing Mario Balotelli, the talented but controversial Italian striker. I did my homework on him, speaking to a few Italian contacts, but the feedback I got confirmed it was too big a risk. I don’t know whether this sort of candid professional courtesy exists in other fields, but for me it was a Godsend.

Balotelli eventually signed for United’s local rivals Manchester City in August 2010 for £22.5 million.

His early endeavours with City were relatively successful. He played a key role for the Sky Blues in their 6-1 thrashing of United in the 2011-12 season and set up Sergio Aguero for his famous title-winning goal on the last day of the same term against QPR.

However, his relationship eventually broke down with manager Roberto Mancini and he was sold to AC Milan for £19 million in January 2013.

The 25-year-old’s downward trend has continued and he now finds himself back on loan at Milan after a disastrous lone season with Liverpool.

Ferguson was undoubtedly well advised in the case of Balotelli. Reds boss Brendan Rodgers ignored similar advice and was punished for it, per the Guardian‘s Daniel Taylor.

It is not unimaginable, though, that Ferguson may have known how to deal with Balotelli and been able to draw out his talent to its full potential.

The Scottish manager famously dealt with the mercurial Eric Cantona in such a way as to turn him into one of the most dangerous attacking forces in the Premier League.

One such talent that he was unable to bring round was Paul Pogba, who departed for Juventus on a free transfer in 2012.

The 73-year-old has put the blame for the Frenchman’s departure—Pogba is now widely regarded as one of the best midfielders in the world—squarely at the door of the player’s agent, Mino Raiola, again in Leading (via Jamie Anderson in the Daily Star):

There are one or two football agents I simply do not like, and Mino Raiola, Paul Pogba’s agent is one of them. I distrusted him from the moment I met him. We had Paul under a three-year contract, and it had a one-year renewal option which we were eager to sign. Raiola suddenly appeared on the scene and our first meeting was a fiasco. He and I were like oil and water. From then our goose was cooked because Raiola had been able to integrate himself with Paul and his family and the player signed with Juventus.

The departure of Pogba has turned out to be a big blow for the Red Devils. They have since been forced to spend huge money on the likes of Morgan Schneiderlin and Bastian Schweinsteiger to strengthen their weak midfield.

However, there is no guarantee that the 22-year-old would have made the same advances had he stayed on at Old Trafford as he has with Juve over the last few years.

Ferguson has little to regret as he looks back on his career at United and failing to keep Pogba was seemingly beyond his reach. Eschewing the chance to sign Balotelli, though, was one of many masterstrokes.

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