Paul Pogba struggled to live up to expectations during his second spell at Manchester United because he was 'burdened' by his £89million price tag, according to his former teammate Andrea Barzagli.
The Frenchman left Juventus to become United's club-record signing back in the summer of 2016. However, Pogba has failed to live up to expectations since his seismic switch and is now on the cusp of sealing a sensational return to Turin after running down his deal at Old Trafford.
Pogba has been criticised for deciding to quit United for a second time after his underwhelming displays, but Barzagli has leapt to Pogba's defence. Barzagli played alongside the midfielder during Pogba's first spell at Juventus – and he is adamant that Pogba was weighed down by his huge price tag.
The playmaker won the Scudetto four years in a row and amassed 34 goals and 40 assists before he was lured back to the Premier League. But unfortunately, the mercurial midfielder failed to repeat his title-winning antics at Old Trafford – where he won just the EFL Cup and Europa League – and has failed to make any kind of meaningful impact over the past six years.
Barzagli told Tuttosport: “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.
“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.”
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Barzagli added: “Pogba is a player of international standing and has already played for Juventus. Paul knows what it's like to wear this shirt and he knows what it means to win. And especially he brings personality, quality, goals and assists. But what matters most to him is that mix of personality and quality that has come to decline a bit in recent years.”
Pogba was snapped arriving for his medical in Turin at the weekend as he closes in on a return to Juventus.
The Italian giants have reportedly offered Pogba a four-year deal, but the midfielder will have to take a huge pay cut to seal his switch back to the Allianz Arena.
