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Jose Mourinho claims rivals - not Manchester United - have created 'out-of-control' transfer market

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has pointed the finger at other clubs for overpaying for players to create an "out-of-control" transfer market.

The 54-year old brought former Everton striker Romelu Lukaku to the club for £75million earlier in the window, while the Old Trafford club also broke the world transfer record last summer to bring £89m Paul Pogba to Old Trafford from Juventus.

Manchester City have spent £218m so far this summer and, along with Chelsea, are the only Premier League clubs to have spent more than United.

Even so, Mourinho believes that it is other clubs who are spending over the odds and therefore affecting the transfer market for the others.

(Man Utd via Getty Images)
(Man Utd via Getty Images)

"Every club is investing a lot," Mourinho told BBC Sport.

"I think some clubs obviously are paying too much, and by paying too much they create a very strange and out-of-control market.

"This is the reality now."

United stole a march on Chelsea to sign Lukaku after stalling on negotiations with Real Madrid for Alvaro Morata - who has now joined Antonio Conte's champions for an initial £58m.

Mourinho said spending big on Lukaku was necessary given Zlatan Ibrahimovic's contract ending following the Swedish legend's serious knee injury, adding: "This season we spent a lot of money on a striker.

"If we don't do that, we have no striker. It is obvious that nowadays, especially for the strikers, the amount of money is amazing.

"Next season we are not going to spend a lot of money on a striker. This season we had to do it. Investment is overall and it is every team."