Juventus ‘still laughing’ at United over decision to let ‘special’ Paul leave Old Trafford
JUVENTUS were laughing at Manchester United when they took Paul Pogba from them for free... and they are still laughing now, according to Andrea Pirlo.
In the summer of 2012 Pogba had just left Manchester United on a free transfer after the mother of all contract stand-offs.
Sir Alex Ferguson had taken an instant dislike to his agent, Mino Raiola, and Pogba felt the United manager didn’t trust him and wouldn’t put him in the first team. He made just seven appearances, all of them as a substitute.
Ferguson has said he made the right decision at that time, refusing to countenance wages of around £15,000-£20,000 a week for an 18-year-old. But whatever the rights and wrongs of that now infamous decision, Juventus players were immediately sure that their club had invested wisely by meeting those demands.
‘On the first day training session Pogba had with Juventus the players were laughing,’ said Pirlo, who played for Juventus from 2011-15. ‘We were not laughing for any other reason than we were just in total disbelief that this player with so much obvious ability was able to leave a club the size of Manchester United for free — and I think Juventus are still laughing.
‘I will always remember the first day he trained at Juventus. He was only young, but we could see he was special. We were walking back to the dressing room after the session and I clearly remember Gianluigi Buffon coming up to me laughing and he just said: “Did they really let him go for free?”’
After banking £90million on what was effectively a free transfer — they actually had to pay about £300,000 in training fees to United under FIFA regulations — there is no doubt that Juventus struck perhaps the deal of the century when they took a chance on Pogba.
‘I am not saying that Juventus will have wanted to let him go, they wouldn’t — but things have worked out pretty well for them,’ said Pirlo, who now plays for New York City with Frank Lampard. ‘They signed a player of his quality for no money, he was a big part of them winning trophies in four seasons, and they then sell him for £90m. Whatever way you look at it, Juventus have got a great deal.’
Though if Pirlo, with his 116 caps for Italy, is anything of a judge it could yet work just as well for United. ‘You would be buying a player who is the best in his position in the world, a player that can be the best in his position for the next 10 years. He is the best young player I have ever seen, and I don’t think we are far away from calling him the best player in the world. It has been between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo for many years now, but football should get ready for a new king.
‘I think Pogba will make Manchester United a real force again. One player of that quality can change things. They will lift the players, the fans. You give any team Pogba and Zlatan [Ibrahimovic] in one window and they are going to capable of special things.
‘Of course I would like him to stay with a Juventus, but there is always a fee where a club cannot say no. It was my prediction that a world record fee would be needed to buy him, and that looks like it will be the case. He will not even think about the fee, he is only concentrating on being the best player he can be. He is not just a great player but also a great professional, and that is the dream for any coach.’