Former Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp has criticised Manchester United’s transfer policy, questioning the club’s decision to re-sign Cristiano Ronaldo and Paul Pogba during the last decade.
Speaking on The Diary of a CEO podcast, Klopp said such moves rarely yield success, adding that he would not have pursued them had he accepted Manchester United’s past interest in hiring him.
“In the year when Sir Alex [Ferguson] retired, they [Man United] spoke to me; they were interested at one point,” Klopp revealed.
“I did not want to bring back [Paul] Pogba — he was a sensational player, but these things don’t work usually.
Or Cristiano — we all know he is the best player, together with Messi, in the world, but bringing back never helps.”
Manchester United re-signed Pogba from Juventus in 2016 for a then-world-record fee and brought Ronaldo back to Old Trafford in 2021. Both spells ended in disappointment, with the club struggling to regain elite status.
Klopp eventually joined Liverpool in 2016 after what he described as “a sensational talk” with co-owner Mike Gordon, leading the Reds into one of their most successful modern eras — including Premier League and Champions League triumphs.
His remarks reignite debate over Manchester United’s recruitment strategy and the value of nostalgia-driven signings in top-level football.
