Manchester United were bound to attract some unwanted messages when they tweeted that manager Jose Mourinho has claimed Paul Pogba is on the same level as five-time Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi.

The teasing tweet did not mirror Mourinho’s exact words, but he did say that his midfielder was on par with some of the best footballers of the moment.

During his press conference following the team’s 1-0 defeat to Barcelona, which rounded off United’s pre-season tour of the United States, Mourinho discussed Pogba.

The Frenchman became the most expensive player in the sport’s history when he returned to Old Trafford from Juventus in a £89m deal last summer.

He failed to convince everyone that he was worth the staggering amount during his first season at United, but Mourinho has sung his praises ahead of the 2017-18 campaign.

The former Chelsea boss claimed that Pogba “belonged” at the level of the likes of Messi, Neymar, Luis Suarez and Cristiano Ronaldo.

The wording of United’s tweet attracted plenty of attention, and fans from rival clubs made it clear that they do not agree with Mourinho.