KEY POINTS
- Paul Pogba has agreed to a four-year deal with Juventus
- He played in Turin for four seasons before moving back to Manchester
- Man Utd signed Pogba at a club-record fee of $108 million in 2016
Former Manchester United forward Paul Pogba has completed his move to Juventus on a free transfer in the ongoing summer window.
After six seasons at Old Trafford, Pogba's contract expired on June 30. Juventus has reached an agreement with Pogba on a four-year contract, reported Sky Sports. Pogba is set to return to the Turin club, where he spent four seasons between 2012 and 2016 before moving to Manchester United at their club-record fee of $108 million.
Pogba is expected to reach Turin on Saturday to undergo his medical and sign the deal officially, Sky Sports journalist Dharmesh Sheth said.
Before reaching an agreement with Juventus, the French midfielder was linked with other top clubs such as Manchester City, Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and Real Madrid.
City even made a stunning bid to sign Pogba from bitter rivals United, with Pep Guardiola meeting the midfielder. Despite the lucrative contract offered by City, Pogba decided not to join the Etihad side as he didn't want the unnecessary hate that he would receive if he moved from Old Trafford to City ahead of next season, the Sky Sports report claimed.
Paul Pogba of Manchester United acknowledges the fans prior to the Premier League match between Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur at Old Trafford on March 12, 2022 in Manchester, England. Photo: Michael Regan/Getty Images
While City won the Premier League last season, Manchester United did not even finish in the top four, meaning they would play second-tier competition Europa League in the 2022-23 campaign.
Juventus are also close to signing Argentina forward Angel di Maria, who also will join the Serie A club on a free transfer. Di Maria left PSG after his contract expired at the end of last month. He spent seven long seasons in Paris, winning many trophies, including five Ligue 1 titles.
Juventus are expected to offer just a year's deal to Di Maria, according to Goal.com. The former Real Madrid forward is set to undergo medical in Turin on Friday.
In a dramatic Serie A finale the last term, Juventus managed to finish fourth in the league table and secured a Champions League slot. They will join Serie A champions AC Milan, Inter Milan and Napoli in the hat for Europe's top competition.
The deals for Pogba and Di Maria are crucial for head coach Massimiliano Allegri as the Italian manager is looking to reshuffle and help Juventus taste Serie A success once again. The Allianz side has not won the league title in the last two seasons.
