After moving back ‘home’ to Turin in the summer, many saw this as a coup for the Italian giants but instead Pogba’s return has been nothing short of disastrous.
Whether due to injuries or disciplinary issues, it is reported that the board of the Old Lady are already considering terminating the Frenchman’s contract to get his hefty wage bill off the books.
Pogba made over 120 appearances in his first spell at Juventus, scoring upwards of 25 goals in what by many was seen as the best stint of his career.
However, the second time around Allegri has not taken so kindly to Pogba. After returning for his first appearance of the season in the 4-2 triumph over Turin rivals Torino after a long injury layoff, it is reported that Allegri kept him out of the squad vs Freiburg in the Europa League for attitude problems.
This was after the France international supposedly reported to midweek training late which frustrated not only his manager but also his fellow teammates.
In Pogba’s absence, the Old Lady have risen to a respectable seventh place. Had they not been docked 15 points earlier in the season, they would sit in a much more respectable third place. They have therefore not missed the box-to-box presence of Pogba.
Instead, Allegri has decided to blood a number of youngsters into the team including Fabio Miretti, Nicolo Fagioli and Enzo Barrenechea in the centre of the park alongside more experienced heads in Adrian Rabiot and Manuel Locatelli.
All five of these players are having successful seasons in their own manner, especially Rabiot who has already hit ten goals for the season in a box-to-box midfield role.
When Pogba signed for the Old Lady it was believed he would once again establish himself as a key part of the squad but he has actually become a target for fans due to his off-field antics and the rise of three homegrown talents in midfield.
It is hard to deny that Juventus could still need Pogba for the remainder of the season though as they aim to get into the Champions League spots and win a competitive Europa League.
With Allegri now favouring a midfield three this could allow the more attack-minded Pogba to thrive. The best football the 30-year-old has ever played came with the national team where N’Golo Kante could cover for his defensive frailties.
With two midfield partners, Pobga could get into the attacking third more and his sometimes poor positioning would not be exposed as much with Locatelli there for cover.
The Frenchman is an expert at progressing the ball up the field whether with passes or dribbling. This could give Juventus another aspect in their game as at the moment the majority of the progression comes from wing-backs Filip Kostic and Juan Cuadrado.
In the next couple of weeks, Juventus will have to play without Pogba again after
These frequent injury woes have led to Pogba’s market value decreasing from £55 million to £35 million from 2022 to 2023 which is a staggering loss.
With Pogba now in his thirties, it should be his priority to get on the pitch and prove his critics are wrong about him not living up to his undoubted potential.
If he does continue his injury woes and poor disciplinary record then Allegri may decide his once-trusted midfielder is no longer needed at the Allianz Stadium.
Italian football is currently going through a tough financial period, therefore Pogba’s reported weekly wage of £150,000 may just be too much for the Old Lady to handle. A move to the MLS is already being mooted around.
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