Giorgio Chiellini says he wanted Paul Pogba to “travel through” Juventus when he came from Manchester United as a free agent in 2012, with nobody anticipating that the Frenchman should turn out to be “such a champion.”
Although contrasts of sentiment at Old Trafford drove a youthful midfielder to look for choices outside of Old Trafford, the Bianconeri won the race for the desired signature.
Juventus defender Giorgio Chiellini revealed that he didn’t expect much from World Cup champ Paul Pogba when he arrived in 2012: “I thought he was among the individuals who passed by.”
The French midfielder arrived on a free transfer from Manchester United eight years ago and through his performances at Turin gradually established himself as one of the most looked for after talents in European football.
At that time, Pogba was a fairly problematic youngster, with nothing to indicate that he would settle in Turin rapidly and turn into a crucial part of a star-studded squad.
That, however, is decisively what happened, with four gainful years in Italy leading to an £89 million ($110 m) record-breaking come back to United in the summer of 2016.
In the second spell in England, the 27-year-old finds the going harsh at times yet is currently a World Cup champ and a player capable of delivering match-altering snapshots of greatness on his day.
Chiellini is one of Pogba’s many fans, with the Juve defender admitting to being left pleasantly amazed by the achievement appreciated by an enigmatic talent that has sparked talk of arrival to Italy is made.
Chiellini has recalled his initial introductions of Pogba in August 2012 in his autobiography. “I recall walking in. My teammates and I took a gander at each other three or four days into the retreat and said: ‘This person is really acceptable.’
Pogba made 178 appearances more than four seasons for Juventus, scoring 34 goals and winning four Serie A titles.
