Nemanja Matic's arrival will help Paul Pogba shine this season - Denis Irwin

NEMANJA MATIC is set to make his Manchester United debut against Sampdoria tonight.

Posted Wednesday, August 02, 2017 by Dailystar.co.uk

Nemanja Matic could be great for Paul Pogba, according to Denis Irwin

And United great Denis Irwin believes the midfielder's arrival from Chelsea will allow Paul Pogba to shine this season.

"Matic is a player United have needed for quite a while," said Irwin.

"He's experienced, he's not an 'all-singing, all-dancing' player but he keeps it simple and does his job.

"He knows the Premier League, having won the title twice in the last three seasons at Chelsea, and he knows how Jose Mourinho wants him and the team to play.

"He's also a signing designed to let Pogba off the leash a little bit. In pre-season Pogba has looked good and has been given a free role.

"He scored nine last season but he hit the woodwork so many times. I think he is going to be a big player for United this season and will chip in with more goals. He should be capable of double-figures."

The £40m fee for a player who was 29 yesterday has been questioned by some.

But Irwin added: "The starting price for any decent player seems to be around £30m.

"If you want the best you've got to pay decent fees, particularly when you are Manchester United. And Chelsea are not going to sell a player cheaply to one of their rivals."

Denis Irwin was speaking on behalf of Marathonbet, the official betting partner to Manchester United at a legends golf day.