Paul Pogba’s future at Juventus is in serious doubt as the club considers the possibility of selling or even terminating the French player’s contract.
The 29-year-old returned to Serie A last summer – six years after he left to join Manchester United for a then world record fee of £100m.
While United fans rejoiced at the disposal of a player who was unreliable despite his talent, Juventus supporters despair that his return to the club was even worse than the turn of his last seasons at Old Trafford.
This was due to the fact that he didn’t play a single minute for the Bianconeri due to a knee injury – only returning to the bench as an unused substitute, during the club’s shock 2-0 defeat against Monza at the weekend.
However, his nightmarish start continued with Juventus boss Max Allegri saying there was a setback ahead of his debut after he suffered ‘soreness in his muscles’.
Juventus are considering parting ways with Paul Pogba (left) because he hasn’t played a single minute under Massimiliano Allegri (right) since returning last summer due to injury.
There is anger over Pogba’s initial refusal to undergo knee surgery which has delayed his return, as well as some frustration over his presence on social media while not playing for the club.
As a result, the possibility of Pogba’s contract being terminated at the end of the season is no longer an impossible scenario, while there is a chance that he will be sold to a less competitive league such as MLS in the United States.
Juventus and Pogba are going through a diplomatic rupture that is difficult to heal because the signing did not work out and the player destroyed the harmony in the dressing room.
At Juventus, it is as if Pogba never really set foot in Italy with a 27-match absence, and fans are frustrated by his many social media posts.
It felt like his job was an impact, and fans are tired of waiting for a player who looks so far from full fitness.
But his main mistake, according to his supporters, was that he only thought of himself over his handling of his knee injury, forgetting about Juventus and the club’s need to replace Paulo Dybala with his immense talent.
Pogba initially refused to have surgery on his knee because he felt it would hinder his chances of playing for France at the World Cup.
In the end, he underwent surgery, missed the tournament in Qatar, and also broke the confidence of the club and fans with the midfielder.
According to Gazzetta dello Sport, the club is tired of waiting and attributes every physical problem Pogba has to a mistake made in the summer over a meniscus problem.
Juventus are furious with Pogba after they invested more than £31m to bring him back to the club, with the player signing a deal worth more than £7m per season plus bonuses over four years.
There were high hopes for Pogba upon his return after a successful first spell at the club
But his comeback was worse than the last few seasons of his Manchester United career
Termination of his contract cannot be ruled out but it would be an option that the club would have to consider very carefully.
By allowing Pogba to leave, Juventus could buy players with a salary equal to half of what the Frenchman earns, or look to sign a high-profile player such as Lazio’s Sergej Milinkovic-Savic.
On the balance sheet as of December 31, Juventus have paid Pogba more than £2.9m despite him taking no action.
There have been questions raised about the signing after he also missed a lot of matches at Manchester United in recent seasons.
Pogba missed 100 matches due to injuries during his six years at Old Trafford.
His last match as a starting player dates back to April 2022, when Manchester United were playing Norwich while his contract at Old Trafford was about to expire.
The 2018 World Cup winner was a crowd favorite during his first spell at the club, helping them win four Serie A titles as well as reach the Champions League final in 2015.
Pogba suffered a number of injuries even before he left Manchester United for Juventus
Pogba was unable to contribute while a poor performance and points deduction left Juventus in 13th place
But Pogba was unable to contribute to what has been a difficult season for the club.
The Italian Football Federation announced last month that Juventus had been deducted 15 points for “financial irregularities” and “false accounting” in relation to historic transfer deals.
That has left the club 13th in the Serie A table, and it seems unlikely that Pogba will help them as much as he is, to help them in the final months of the season.
After Juventus’ summer tour of America, Pogba took a hiatus from training to begin a physical ordeal that has the potential to make this season the worst of his career.