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Former Juventus defender Andrea Barzagli believes the burden of a world-record price tag weighed Paul Pogba down at Manchester United.
The French midfielder ended his misery at Old Trafford and has left the club on a free transfer at the end of his contract for the second time in a decade. The 29-year-old is now close to re-signing for Juventus ahead of the 2022-23 season.
It is no secret that Pogba struggled to find a consistent run of form at Manchester United. Barzagli, however, sympathizes with his former teammate regarding the same. According to the former Italy and Juventus defender, it is hard for someone other than a forward to prove he is worth a world-record transfer fee.
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However, Barzagli believes Pogba will be able to rekindle his old form whilst at Juventus. Speaking to Tuttosport (via the Mirror), he was quoted as saying the following:
“In Manchester he suffered the burden of having to prove that he was worth the €105m invested by United. From the outside, you do not perceive the pressure that a boy, however young, must endure when the expectations are very high. If you are a player who scores 60 goals a year, okay, otherwise it is hard to show that you are worth €105m.”
He added:
“That weighed a lot. The player, however, is not disputed: he is still young and is one who shifts the balance. He will have a great desire to get back on track. And win. For Juventus it is a great deal.”
It is worth mentioning that this will be the second time Pogba will transfer from Manchester United to Juventus on a free transfer. The French midfielder made the same move back in 2012.
Paul Pogba had a disappointing 2021-22 season with Manchester United
Pogba's final season at Manchester United was underwhelming to say the least.
The World Cup-winning midfielder only managed to make 27 appearances for the Red Devils due to persistent injury issues. Pogba scored only once all season but did manage nine assists across all competitions.
Four of those came on the opening day of last season against Leeds United, which meant his production wasn't great for much of the campaign.
A move back to Juventus could rekindle his career ahead of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, where France will be looking to defend their title.
