Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba has reportedly told Juventusplayers that he is ready to leave Old Trafford and return to Turin.
Pogba arrived at United for a second spell in the summer of 2016, joining from the Italian champions. This season there has been plenty of speculation surrounding the Frenchman, with Juventus tipped as possible suitors him again.
According to Corriere dello Sport (h/t Metro), the Red Devils man has made it known to current Juve players that he wants out at United and would be open to making a return to the Serie A side.
It’s added that Juventus are putting plans in place that would allow them to finance a deal, with Pogba’s weekly wage at United said to be £290,000.
Journalist Arjun Pradeep relayed how the story was reported and noted the 25-year-old is one of a number of players to be linked with a move to Juventus.
Recently it was reported by Sport Mediaset (h/t Football Italia) that Pogba’s agent, Mino Raiola, is currently in Italy for negotiations with AC Milan over a potential move for Zlatan Ibrahimovic, but he may also hold talks with Juventus regarding Pogba coming back.
While he’s performed well in 2018-19, Pogba’s campaign has not been totally straightforward. Earlier in the season, he was stripped of the vice-captaincy by manager Jose Mourinho, while the midfielder was critical of the team’s approach in home games, saying they needed to play with more attacking impetus.
Still, Pogba has been crucial to United putting together a recovery of sorts in recent weeks, and his absence was felt in the loss to Manchester Citybefore the international break. He missed that game and France’s recent fixtures with a thigh issue.
James Robson of the Evening Standard commented on how important the France international has become to the United cause.
While Pogba has enjoyed some high points at United, he arguably hasn’t been able to scale the heights he did at Juventus on quite as consistent a basis.
There were times for the Bianconeri when Pogba looked like one of the best midfielders in the game, as he was the driving force behind numerous successes. The playmaker won Serie A four times with Juve and the Coppa Italia twice, and he was also a key member of the side that made it to the UEFA Champions League final in 2015.
When he was asked about potentially coming back to the club again recently, Pogba was pretty coy.
Having stunned plenty by signing Cristiano Ronaldo in the summer, it’s difficult to rule out Juventus getting a deal for Pogba over the line if they do want to sign him.
Even so, United paid a then-world-record fee to bring him back in 2016 and given Pogba remains a crucial player for Mourinho despite his inconsistencies, Juventus would have to part with an extraordinary amount of money to convince the Red Devils to cash in.
