Juventus are considering releasing Paul Pogba from his £28million contract after just one year after growing frustrated with his behaviour and injury problems, according to reports.
Pogba re-joined Juventus as a free agent on a four-year contract last July after his Manchester United deal expired at the end of June. The move was billed as a homecoming for the 29-year-old, who enjoyed a successful spell with Juventus between 2012 and 2016.
But it has turned into a nightmare, with Pogba still yet to play for the Old Lady this season. He suffered a serious knee injury in pre-season which required surgery and recently suffered a setback to delay his comeback.
Pogba has not played a competitive match for 290 days, since limping out of Manchester United’s 4-0 defeat by Liverpool on April 19 2022. He has missed 27 games for Juve this season and his activity on social media has not gone down well at the club, who could terminate his contract or try to sell him to a Major League Soccer side in the summer, according to the Daily Mail.
The report states that Pogba has ‘destroyed the harmony in the locker room’ since signing a deal worth over £7m per season plus bonuses across four years. While he has not been active on the pitch, Pogba has been busy entertaining his 57m Instagram followers.
Supporters have been irritated by behaviour on social media, with Pogba posting pictures of himself on the ski slopes or in the barbers and videos of him dancing around his living room. One comment sums up the mood among fans: “A good influencer not a football player…”
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Juventus are under severe financial pressure, with the 'plusvalenza' scandal putting a spotlight on the Italian giants. The 15-point deduction for allegations of historic false accounting has left Juve reeling.
La Gazzetta dello Sport claims there is also frustration about the way Pogba has handled the knee injury he sustained while on Juventus’ pre-season tour of the USA. Pogba initially refused to have surgery on the problem due to his desire to play for France at the World Cup.
He eventually did go under the knife, but the delay slowed down the timeline of his recovery. Manager Massimiliano Allegri revealed before Juve’s 1-0 win over Lazio on Thursday that Pogba had picked up a hip flexor problem after sitting on the bench for the shock 2-0 home loss to Monza on Sunday.
“Many players have been dealing with long-term injuries,” he said. “[Federico] Chiesa was out for 10 months and Pogba hasn’t played since April. It takes a while to get back in shape. As happened with Chiesa, who had to stop and start again.
“It takes time for Pogba, nobody can work miracles. His body must adapt. We must use him wisely and in the right moment when he will be fit.”
