Paul Pogba's transfer back to Manchester United took spending in football to a whole new level when his world-record £89 million move from Juventus was completed last August.

The Red Devils broke the then record £85 million Real Madrid paid Tottenham for Gareth Bale in 2013, to bring back the Frenchman who came through the club's academy.

It was a move that proved to be a big sting for United who had to spend drastically in order to re-sign the midfielder who left for Turin on a free transfer back in 2012.

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FIFA were forced to open an investigation into the France international's transfer to Old Trafford earlier this month after information regarding the transfer raised concerns.

According to the book 'Football Leaks: The Dirty Business of Football', Pogba's agent Mino Raiola will receive £41.39 million from his transfer alone.

And £22.8 million of the fee United paid for Pogba reportedly went straight into the pocket of the Italian super agent, meaning Juventus did not receive anywhere close to the fee that was reported.

The news shocked many and football's world governing body had little choice but to investigate, in order to protect the integrity of the game.

Raiola shuts down payment claims

However, Raiola quashed all suggestions that he made such a figure from the Frenchman's return to the Premier League and labelled it as "fake news" during a recent interview in Italy.

“I cashed £40m? It’s fake," Raiola told an Italian radio station, per The Sun.

“Ninety-five per cent of Football Leaks about me is fake news.

“I won’t answer to mafia journalism.”

Five payments of £16.39 million are set to be paid to Raiola over time, the report claims, while United are understood to have paid a £2.2 million fee Pogba owed to Raiola's agency, Uuniqq SARL.

Agents are often highly influential during transfer negotiations, especially at the highest level of the game, and it's inevitable Raiola banked a handsome figure for his part in the transfer.

But only United and Juventus will know the honest figure the Italian received after Pogba made his sensational return to the club he'd initially left after limited game time under former boss Sir Alex Ferguson.

Pogba yet to justify fee

It indeed proved to be one of the few incidents where Ferguson made an error in judgement, although the 24-year-old has yet to reach the level he performed at in Serie A.

In 51 appearances this season, Pogba has produced just nine goals and hasn't had the required level of influence of the Red Devils often enough for Jose Mourinho's liking.

However, Pogba's crucial opening goal against Ajax in the Europa League final during midweek perhaps, alone, justified his huge price tag as it secured United's return to the Champions League.

That will likely help the Red Devils in the pursuit of his countryman, Antoine Griezmann, from Atletico Madrid, who demanded European football before considering a move to Old Trafford that could eclipse the fee paid for Pogba.