Paul Pogba dealt blow as ex-Manchester United teammate's current club reject chance to sign him: Reports

Former Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba has been dealt a blow, as Fiorentina have turned down the opportunity to sign him, according to a report by Corriere dello Sport (via GOAL).

Pogba who had his alleged four years doping ban reduced to 18 months is set to return to the pitch in March 2025. However, Fiorentina have reportedly rejected the chance to sign Pogba due to his salary demand, which exceeds their budget.

This further implies that the Frenchman would not be reuniting with his former Manchester United teammate David de Gea who plays for Fiorentina. Arguably one of the most complete midfielders, Pogba is creative with the ball and his vision on the pitch is outstanding.

In his stint at Manchester United, the Frenchman scored 39 goals and registered 48 assists in 233 games. Pogba won several individual and collective trophies at Manchester United including the 2016-17 Europa League title.

Meanwhile, in two stints at Juventus, Pogba scored 34 goals and provided 33 assists in 190 games for the Old Lady. The Frenchman also won the 2012-13, 2013-14, 2014-15, and 2015-16 Serie A titles among others.

Pogba is presently in search of a new club as he looks to revive his career which started on a decent note. It will be interesting to see if he would move to the Saudi Pro League to join players like Cristiano Ronaldo, Roberto Firmino, and Karim Benzema.

---

"The balance of the dressing room” - Roberto De Zerbi on why Marseille rejected the chance to sign former Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba

Sunderland v Olympique Marseille - Pre-Season Friendly - Source: Getty

Marseille's manager Roberto De Zerbi has claimed that the balance of the dressing room was the reason why the club didn't sign Paul Pogba. This comes after the Frenchman was heavily linked with Marseille in the recently concluded transfer window.

In a press conference, De Zerbi spoke about why Marseille refused to move for Pogba who's a free agent. He said (via GOAL):

"The balance of the dressing room, nobody could change it. Nobody will unbalance my dressing room as long as I am [the] coach. That was not the problem. Pogba is a very great player, but we had to understand where we could use him once he was available to play, in what role, what position."

He added:

"The more champions there are, the happier I am, that wasn't it. It was a general assessment and maybe it will change but at the moment we made this decision due to several factors."

Marseille have been decent in the Ligue 1 this season and are ranked second in the standings having secured 43 points from 21 games. They are 10 points behind leaders Paris Saint-Germain in the title race. Meanwhile, adding Pogba to their midfield ranks could have enhanced their squad depth and attacking creativity.