Juventus have officially announced the signing of Paul Pogba on a free transfer from Manchester United, six years after the Red Devils bought him for a then world-record £89m from the Italian giants.
The Frenchman signed a four-year contract with Massimiliano Allegri’s side after completing a medical in Turin. He was met in the city by hundreds of Juventus fans celebrating his return. “I’m back, I’m here, I’m very, very happy,” a beaming Pogba told the club’s official Twitter account. “I can’t wait to get started and wear this Juventus jersey again.”
🐙⚽️#POGBACK pic.twitter.com/X64zjh7mRs
— JuventusFC (@juventusfcen) July 11, 2022
“When we say goodbye after an intense adventure shared together, there is always a glimmer of hope that we will see each other again, sooner or later,” read the official statement on the Juventus website. “Paul is back in Turin. He left as a boy and returns as a man and a champion, but there is one thing that has not changed – the desire to write unforgettable pages of club history together once more.”
The midfielder enjoyed a successful first stint at the club from 2012 to 2016 after leaving Manchester United, where he had been a youth team player. He won four consecutive Serie A titles and two Coppa Italia trophies with the Bianconeri, and also reached the 2015 Champions League final with the club, which they lost.
His second spell at Manchester, however, did not go as expected. Although he won the Europa League and the EFL Cup while at Old Trafford, he was never able to consistently reach the peaks that were expected of him, only managing occasional moments of magic.
Pogba’s inconsistent performances saw him face criticism from his coaches, particularly Jose Mourinho. This was also not helped by the constant rumours that he wanted out of the club. All this also led to him having an uneasy relationship with Red Devils supporters, who booed him off in his last two home appearances.
The 29-year-old was a different player for France in the same time period. He was at the forefront of the national team’s success, bossing the midfield with skill, vision and power as Les Bleus lifted the 2018 World Cup. Juventus will be hoping that it is this version of Pogba who turns up for them.
𝙎𝙞𝙜𝙣𝙚𝙙 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙨𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙚𝙙! ⚪️⚫️✍️ pic.twitter.com/HAblHCReAN
— JuventusFC (@juventusfcen) July 11, 2022
Pogba is the second high-profile signing for Juventus this summer and will wear the No.10 shirt vacated by Paulo Dybala. They have also signed Angel Di Maria on a free transfer after the Argentinian’s contract at PSG ran out.
Nice 👍