Ex-Juventus Star Claudio Marchisio Reveals He ‘Told Off’ Paul Pogba Following His Manchester United Move

Former Juventus midfielder Claudio Marchisio has claimed he personally “told off” Paul Pogba for making the mistake of leaving Juventus for Manchester United and says “It’d be good for both parties”, should he return to the Old Lady in the future.

Pogba, now 27, made 178 appearances for Juve netting 34 goals across four seasons from 2012-2015, having originally joined the club for a cut-price $1.8million from Manchester United. 

The Frenchman then rejoined the Red Devils in 2016, with the club forking out a world-record fee at the time of $110million, to bring him back to Old Trafford.

Since his return, Pogba has made 133 appearances in all competitions. Things started brightly for the World Cup winner, winning the domestic EFL Cup and Europa League under former manager José Mourinho.

Last season his form dipped significantly as his relationship with the manager became strained. Pogba looked to have re-found his form under new boss Ole Gunnar Solskjær, but injury has prevented him from kicking on this campaign, meaning the midfielder has made just eight appearances across all competitions, his last in a 4-1 victory over Newcastle on Boxing Day last year.

That said, former Juve midfielder Marchisio relayed to Sport Mediaset the club work behind the scenes of hoping to re-land Pogba and bring him back to the Allianz Stadium.

“Last year I met him at a private event and told him off, saying he got it wrong when deciding to go to Manchester and should’ve remained with the Bianconeri,” said Marchisio.

“Now things have changed a bit, the Juve midfield has changed, but I hope he returns because it’d be good for both parties. He already knows Serie A, would increase the quality in a squad that is formidable anyway.”

Pogba revealed last season he would like to leave Manchester United as he seeks a ‘new challenge’, alerting both Juventus and Real Madrid.

Juve are looking to revamp their midfield this summer with fresh blood and have previously earmarked Pogba for a potential return. The club is prepared to offer two stars in any deal plus cash, to try and lure him back to Italy.

The coronavirus pandemic will have a big impact on whether the player will depart Solskjær’s side in the next transfer window, given the fact Maurizio Sarri’s team will lose out on a whopping $122million it is estimated, due to the suspension of soccer.

Juve will have to sell before they buy, and with several squad members expected to be moved on, one of those players who are surplus to requirements is Gonzalo Higuaín. Should they receive a large sum for the 32-year-old forward, then the monies they recoup would likely be put towards Pogba’s return.

The Old Lady have already spent big before the current pandemic, signing Matthijs de Ligt from Ajax last summer, and Cristiano Ronaldo back in 2018 – so they are building a squad to be the best in the world and are targetting the Champions League, which they last won 24-years-ago.

United are expected to ask for at least $120million for Pogba’s services, so it remains to be seen where the Frenchman will be playing his soccer next season. One thing for sure, if the player gives the right signals and Juve can find the funds, the Old Trafford board could well be prepared to sanction a move.