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Graeme Souness reckons Zlatan Ibrahimovic is a better signing for Manchester United than Paul Pogba this season.

And the former Liverpool midfielder has backed Swedish superstar Ibrahimovic to lead Jose Mourinho’s side to the Premier League title – and make Old Trafford the Theatre of Dreams again.

The Red Devils are poised to smash the world transfer record with the purchase of the 23-year-old France star Pogba from Juventus.

But Souness insisted the real value in a team is in the strikers – and Bosman signing Ibrahimovic proved with his Wembley winner in the Community Shield that he will be worth his weight in goals.

And Souness believes even more than Mourinho, the Swede will also bring back the swagger missing from Manchester United since the departure of Sir Alex Ferguson.

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“I think Pogba is a statement signing – I still think £100m, for a midfielder who gets 10 goals a season, is too much money,” said the Sky Sports analyst. “I am yet to be convinced. I don’t see him changing that many games.

“In the last couple of years, Manchester United have not had a bad bunch of players – not a top group – but they have underperformed.

“Right now I would say Ibrahimovic will be a bigger influence for United over the next nine months because he has an attitude and a charisma about him that will drag the lesser lights along.

“They have been screaming out for a big personality like Ibrahimovic who will fall out with people occasionally in the dressing room, will point the finger and will lead by example. I think they have been crying out for that. More than the manager, I think he has possibly got the biggest part to play this year.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic heads the Community Shield winner at Wembley:

(Image: Reuters) (Image: Getty)

(Image: Getty)

“He is 34 and certainly not as good as he was three or four years ago but he has got a swagger that will rub off on people. That personality in the dressing room where he says: ‘I am the best’.

“I love that in a player when you can back it up and he has certainly backed it up. I can see him having the biggest influence on Manchester United this year.”

Ibrahimovic got off the mark in English football on Sunday after scoring 50 times for Paris Saint-Germain last season.

“You saw him against Leicester – he didn’t really take part in the game but came up with the winner,” Souness continued. “And he will do that time and time again this season.

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“Running around has never been his strongest point. He has got a great football brain, he is economical with his movement and he is cute and clever. And he has the most ridiculous technique.

“In other games, against the lesser teams, he will destroy them single-handedly.

"If they get the blend right, it will be exciting times at Old Trafford this year. If you factor in Jesse Lingard, Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial, and then him up top, it is exciting times.

"It is the Theatre of Dreams again.”

Souness was unimpressed with Pogba at Euro 2016 and believes observers “get kidded by him because he is such a wonderful athlete when he moves. He is so smooth he is like a Rolls Royce’.

(Image: Getty)

The Scot added: “If, in the current market, Pogba is worth £100m, Messi, Ronaldo and Suarez must be worth double if they were the same age.

“I see Pogba as someone who can come into that group and doesn’t have to be the main man from day one. He might end up being one of the best in our league.

“But he can slip into Manchester United, he has to forget about what they paid for him, and be part of a really solid midfield. He doesn’t have to be the superstar – there are other players there who will share the spotlight. He will have time to develop – he is only 23.”

With Ibrahimovic possibly playing behind Rashford, where does captain Wayne Rooney fit into the system?

“It is not my problem, but he has got to get Rooney into the team,” Souness said.

(Image: Man Utd via Getty)

“But Jose will galvanise them into a mean outfit. You factor in the goals in this team, he will get the back four sorted out, with the best goalkeeper in the league, I think it makes them dangerous.

“I see the title race being played out in Manchester — with United coming out on top.”

* Sky Sports biggest ever football season includes 126 matches from the Premier League.

Live coverage begins with Hull City v Leicester City the first of four matches to be shown this weekend.