The midfielder joined United in a world-record £89.3million transfer from Juventus last summer and he seems to have struggled with the weight of expectation on him at Old Trafford this season.
The 24-year-old's form has been inconsistent and Mourinho admits the huge fee has had an impact on his performances.
He told Omnisport: "I think the problem is the tag, the price tag on his back. I hope next summer he's not anymore the highest transfer fee and then the pressure goes to somebody else.
"If his transfer fee was half of it, everybody would say 'what a buy,' 'he's playing more than good'. But everybody expects performances according to that huge transfer fee and that brings pressure and that brings sometimes unfair analysis."
Mourinho insists the France international, who has seven goals and five assists in all competitions this term, has played very well at times but his overall campaign has been symptomatic of United's in general.
"He had very good matches, he had very good performances. He always sacrifices for the team," the Portuguese added.
"He had little matches where the performance was not so good but normally the performance is related to the team. So when the team was very good, he was very good. When the team didn't perform so well, he didn't perform so well."
The 24-year-old's form has been inconsistent and Mourinho admits the huge fee has had an impact on his performances.
He told Omnisport: "I think the problem is the tag, the price tag on his back. I hope next summer he's not anymore the highest transfer fee and then the pressure goes to somebody else.
"If his transfer fee was half of it, everybody would say 'what a buy,' 'he's playing more than good'. But everybody expects performances according to that huge transfer fee and that brings pressure and that brings sometimes unfair analysis."
Mourinho insists the France international, who has seven goals and five assists in all competitions this term, has played very well at times but his overall campaign has been symptomatic of United's in general.
"He had very good matches, he had very good performances. He always sacrifices for the team," the Portuguese added.
"He had little matches where the performance was not so good but normally the performance is related to the team. So when the team was very good, he was very good. When the team didn't perform so well, he didn't perform so well."
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