Juventus have been linked to their former superstar midfielder Paul Pogba for several months, but could they finally sign him in 2021?
It looks like Juventus have turned a corner in midfield. Arthur Melo looks as-advertised after being acquired from Barcelona in a swap deal involving Miralem Pjanic. Weston McKennie seems to have a long-term future in Turin, as the Schalke loanee could be bought permanently and is impressing. Aaron Ramsey is playing better football under Andrea Pirlo. Adrien Rabiot looks fully legit. And Rodrigo Bentancur brings it all together with his defensive work.
Even so, Juve don’t quite have a superstar player in midfield. When the Bianconeri are at their best, it is when they have multiple midfielders who can transcend the game with their quality. Claudio Marchisio, Andrea Pirlo, Arturo Vidal, and, of course, Paul Pogba are the types of midfielders who have done this in recent years.
Pogba is the dream target for the Bianconeri. They miss him since he left for Manchester United as a record-breaking transfer, and while he’s shown his quality in the Premier League at times, he’s never quite become the Ballon d’Or contender he’s capable of being. And a lot of that is on the Red Devils for not building the best team around Pogba.
This summer, Juve were linked to the French superstar, but they could not sign him due to the economic crisis. The Bianconeri showed interest in a younger French midfielder in Houssem Aouar, who also qualifies as a possible game-changing signing for the Old Lady.
If Paul Pogba can be signed for 60 million euros, Juventus must make an offer
But it all goes back to Pogba, whose quality is proven, especially in Serie A.
According to TuttoJuve.com, Manchester United would be willing to sell Paul Pogba for an offer of just 60 million euros, which is a greatly reduced price from what they were asking the likes of Real Madrid and Juve in 2019 and even 2020.
Too good to be true? Probably. But if there is a chance Juve can sign Pogba for that little, they need to do whatever they can to make it happen. Aouar could be had for about the same price and is younger, but Pogba brings a certain magic with his passing and shooting from long distance that few other midfielders on this planet can.
It’s not a stretch to say that Pogba in Turin could end up being the best midfielder in Europe. In some ways, it feels like destiny for Pogba to return to Juve and become the true superstar he was always meant to be.
The price must be right. Juve cannot make huge transfers every year. But if the price is a mere 60 million euros, it is undoubtedly worth it for Juventus to bring back a midfielder in his prime who has yet to truly reach his ceiling.